The Crusaders That Leapt Through Time, Space & Reality
by VoyeurTheNinja
Summary: 13 years after Rebellion, a group of Magi lead by Kaname Tatsuya struggle on a race beyond time as they attempt to free the God form of Kaname Madoka from the Devil's prison. Carrying iron determination, they are the one whom the sun shines on as they pave the road with their golden spirits. A Tarot card dealt for every single one of them, their fates are bounded by destiny.
1. Prologue

It had been nearly 13 years ever since the birth of the omnipotent, all-powerful being known as Akuma Homura, a devil whose love broke the laws of reality itself, a Puella Magi who transformed into a demon with the power to shape the universe as she saw fit. The time-traveler who had gone on a mission to save her friend, Kaname Madoka, was long gone. Now nothing more than a cold shell of her former self, who knew no difference between the life in a prison and sanctuary, Homura knows wants nothing more than the complete safety of her friend, even if it meant taking away her God-like powers.

But over the years, despite this Devil living among them in plain sight, the lives of the Mitakihara Puella Magi have been relatively peaceful. Aside from the usual encounters with the Wraiths, demons made up of Humanity's negative energy, Kaname Madoka, Sakura Kyoko, Miki Sayaka, Momoe Nagisa and Tomoe Mami had grown into fine, young women, living ordinary lives with Homura watching them. Unaware of the Devil among them, time flowed normally in this recreated universe with the Devil observing their every move from the shadows.

For the race known as the "Incubators", the hive-mind race continued to remain as slaves to the Devil. For years, they remained tightly held in the her cold, iron grip, unable to pry it open and free themselves, with even some Incubators disconnecting from their hive-mind to live as fugitives. Nevertheless, even if they managed to escape, the only one capable of standing up to the Devil was Kaname Madoka, who had her God-like powers sealed away 13 years ago. Now, she remained a normal girl, unable to see through the lies of her 'peace'.

But now, after years of this false peace being draped over the universe and hiding everything the Devil knew, fate calls upon the arriving of events that would bend time and space itself, as many Puella Magi have dreamed of the Devil and their imprisoned Goddess, along with the arrival of individuals that would shatter this illusion of prosperity and free their God.

Underneath the Devil's nose, and with the assistance of a Puella Magi group named "The Maidens of Battle", the Incubators had developed devices that will undoubtedly help them and their upcoming saviors in their journey to overthrow the Devil and release the imprisoned God of this reality. The watery lake of time was now flowing into a rocky stream of ordeals, and not even the Devil herself can hold back this flow. No dam will stop fate and doing so would only muddy the waters. It is the fate the universe has decided to take, and it will not be stopped.

* * *

During a frozen night in the thick forests of Germany, the moon hid in the shrouds of swirling clouds as the wind howled like the hungry wolves inhabiting the forests. The cold claimed the lives of anything wandering in the stormy blizzard, as they would have to fight both the freezing cold and the animals that prowled among the area for prey. But among the trees - built in a wide opening - was a large mansion one could call a sanctuary; It had its windows boarded shut and its large gates guarded by large animals of thick, brown fur and sharp claws.

The road that led into its gates was covered in snow, which hid the minefield that surrounded the entire perimeter. On the rooftops, patrols composed of Puella Magi were hard to be seen, watching from their bird-nests with long-range weapons pointed at all directions, red dots from their laser sights panning across in a radius. The skull of a grizzly bear was half-buried a few meters away from the gates, decomposed long ago with holes in its cracked cranium.

Inside the mansion's enormous ball room, there were 3 long, rectangular tables lined up next to each other in the darkness and a podium built it front of five large windows. The room was dimly lit and warmed by candles placed on each table, and sitting on the chairs were Puella Magi of various ages, all dressed in ceremonial garbs and hoods. Crude altars and shrines filled the room, built to admire and worship a deity of a time long past. The Puella Magi sitting in the room muttered a hush prayer in unison, inaudible due to the wind outside.

Striding into the room was a young girl, sharply dressed in a combination of a ball gown and battle armor with an ornate sword sheathed at her hip. Her blonde hair was tied into a braid and she had a focused look on her face as she held an overwhelming aura of discipline with her posture. She marched pass the rows of Puella Magi and up onto the podium, placing her armored hands on its edges as the silent prayer stopped along with the wind outside.

Her sharp eyes scanned the entire room and her commanding voice echoed as she looked upon the hundreds of Puella Magi in front of her, "Before we start the meeting, I would like to thank you all for coming here. I welcome the Maidens who had gathered here today, old and new, for your dedication to our cause. It is without a doubt that making this - this rebel group - was not an easy task. But, after years of preparation with the Incubator's rogues, we have finally gathered the strength we need to become a full-fledged army."

She stood up right, a her lips forming a deep scowl, "Also, thanks to our scouts and seers from Clover's regiment, we have finally located _her_: The one we see in our nightmares, the one who imprisoned Her and the one who rules over this universe with an iron grip," she hesitated slightly, seeing some uneasiness among the tables as she muttered, "The Devil. Akemi Homura."

A few of the Puella Magi among the tables shuddered in fear of that name, the candle flames flickering among the growing murmuring. Their attention was then brought to bare again when the leading officer of each table silenced their underlings with a swift order to remain silent. Their leader then continued, giving the her officers an acknowledging and grateful nod.

"As Canoness of the Maidens of Battle, I, Selena Bismarck, announce that in the next few days, we will march over to Akemi Homura's domain and strike her down in Her name with the tools the Incubators brought to us," Selena suddenly unsheathed her ornate blade and raised it triumphantly in the air, casting a large shadow on the wall she raised her voice, "We have lived in the shadows all this time, hidden from the Devil's all-seeing eye. But no more of that shall happen. No. It is time we free Her, the savior of the past, as she calls to us for help!"

"Praise the Forgotten Savior," the hundreds of Puella Magi chanted in sync, "For She protects and watches over us, Her children."

Nodding, Selena sheathed her weapon and stepped down from the podium, sweeping her gaze across the ballroom to look at all of the young girls that had dedicated their lives to their mission. Seeing as it was getting late, Selena dismissed them, "Carry on to your barracks, Maidens, for we will need rest for our journey. For the next few days, our forces shall be travelling to Mitakihara regiment by regiment. You all may go now."

The Puella Magi ushered another small prayer and then stood up from their seats to be guided back to their quarters by Selena's leading officers. They marched in uniform order as they exited the room as others extinguished the candles on the tables before following them. Selena's armor disappeared into shining particles to reveal a simple dress with her Soul Gem connected to a necklace hanging around her neck. Rolling her shoulders, she was about to take her leave when one of the guards came through the door to give her a message.

She bowed respectfully, a head taller than Selena as she reported, "Canoness Bismarck, Priestess Feuer would like to speak with you in her quarters."

"Thank you, Tallus. I shall see to her," she clapped the guard's shoulder, leaving the her with a grateful nod as she then exited the room. As soon as the other Puella Magi were out of sight, Selena rolled her shoulders again and let out a tired sigh, thinking to herself with a weary frown, _"A few more days... Just for a few more days, I must carry this burden of leadership..." _bringing a hand to her face, Selena rubbed her eyes and let out a long yawn.

* * *

In one of the many corridors of the enormous mansion, altars, shrines and stone statues decorated the candle-lit halls. Maidens could be seen regularly patrolling the area and giving respectful bows to Selena when they passed her. Selena would acknowledge them before walking away, as she always did for her 3-years stay in this mansion, which was before abandoned. The Maidens had done a good job of rebuilding the place into a base of operations while the Incubator's devices hid their activities from the Devil's eye.

The burden and stress that came with this was always a problem for Selena, having founded this group when she was just 15 years-old. It was the meeting with the Incubators that gave her this duty, one that made her exhausted for hundreds of sleepless nights ever since she took up the leadership of the Maidens. Nevertheless, she bore this pain, as she had asked for this herself. A chance to have a purpose in life.

Making her way up a flight of spiral stairs, her thoughts were cut off as another one of her officers blocked her path. Her second-in-command, who wore a pair of tight shorts and a long-sleeved shirt with dark engravings, fiddled with a toothpick in her mouth as her curly hair bore streaks of red. Her smile was devilish as ever and her eyes looked at Selena with intent, "Merry Clover," Selena greeted her coldly, not even bothering to look her in the eye, "Was there something you wanted?"

Clover snickered, speaking with an accent of American, "Oh, I just wanted to congratulate you for that _wonderful_ speech, 'almighty' Canoness," she leaned on the railing, raising a brow, "If it's one thing you deserve, it's a good old pat on the back after everything you did, right?" she said with a smug tone, Selena wondering if that was even an actual or rhetorical question.

Despite her attitude, Selena was only mildly offended, having suffered from this girl's attitude the moment Merry had been promoted to regimental leader for her consistent competency, "Please, get out of my way, Clover. Need I remind you that you rank as Celestial does not allow you to pester me whenever you please?" Selena dismissed her, walking up the stairs until she passed by her. She reached the top of the stairs which lead to a door and gripped the knob.

"One last thing, Canoness: Try not to get your panties in a bunch too much, will ya'?" Merry spat out her toothpick and pocketed her hands while leaving, "The last thing we need is a leader that can't even lead an army."

Selena heard a mocking laugh as she opened the door, a visible frown on her face.

* * *

Closing the door behind her and locking it, Selena leaned on door and let out a sigh of relief. Merry was an important part of the Maidens due her competence and skills, but her attitude was unneeded and her tendency to clash with every other Maiden was a constant problem. Now that Selena was in the highest part of the mansion and Merry out of sight, she stood alone in a small, dusty room with a young girl sitting in front of a table far from where she stood. The room was lit by a single candle and had a single bed with a window built above it.

Selena approached the young Maiden who wore a simple night gown, a pair of red-rimmed glasses and a scarf secured around her neck. Her aqua hair reached her shoulders as she played with a suit of cards of the famous Tarot deck. A deck of 22 cards known for their divinatory and occult suggestions of one's fate. The girl was completely engrossed in it, shuffling it in her hands until Selena called out to her in a soft tone.

"Meer, was there something you wanted to tell me?"

Priestess Meer Feuer, one of the only Puella Magi that were not present for Selena's speech. The girl looked back at Selena with an aloof look, facing her with the rest of her body. Meer did not speak, with reasons one could tell from the scars on her neck that were visible from small openings on her scarf. Despite this, she was of Selena's most gifted warriors with a knack for magic and a fortune-teller to boot. Unusual for someone who was only around 15 years of age. A few years under Selena herself.

Acknowledging her leader with a small nod, Meer pointed to the window at Selena's side, which then emitted a loud creak.

Selena eyes followed her directions and the Canoness turned around to face a white cat-like creature climbing onto the windowsill with long, ringed tassels extending from his ears and an abundant amount of ghastly scars on his body. Managing to sit on the windowsill, he stared at Selena with beady, red eyes, having a mouth in the shape of a curved sigma symbol as the Incubator panted for air to catch his breath.

"Nibey," Selena warmly greeted the Incubator with a smile, "It's been too long since you've come to visit us."

The scarred Incubator hopped down to the bed below the window and shook the snow off its furred body, waving a bruised tail in the chilly air as Selena closed the window behind it. Unlike other members of its race, Nibey was deemed with its species rare illness of 'emotions' and thus, was severed from its hive-mind and given free-will, along with a name that personally came from the leader of the Maidens herself. Although, at it came at the cost of being revived at the time of death. A necessary exchange.

"I've been waiting to see you," Nibey bowed his head respectfully and gave a light chuckle, still tired from the trip here, "You did pretty well in creating this rebel group without my help. Of course, while you were busy, I was helping out the others make up some more toys to help you in the meantime."

Selena sat next to the small animal and brushed off the snow from his head, "Are you here to tell us about the tools you promised us?"

"Yup. The Ripple vials are being delivered as speak and should arrive here by tomorrow morning. With those, you should be able to take on the Devil head-on. Meer, show her the sample I gave you."

Meer promptly took out a small vial from her pocket, shaking its red, blood-like contents that sparked beautifully as she showed it to the Maiden's leader. She gave it to Selena for a closer look and she examined the fluid within the glass vial with a questionable look, "Will these be enough for our battle with the Devil?"

Nibey's ears flickered at her doubt as Meer's expression asked the same question, "Well, if used correctly, it would help you, of course. If you'd like, that other weapon we have experimented on can-"

"No. There is no need to call for that one. Not now," Selena cut him off, passing back the vial to Meer who stored it in a small, metal casing along with other multiple ones, "If the worst comes to be, then we will use it. I thank you for these Ripple vials, Nibey. We will use then well. Now, was there anything else you wanted to tell me?" she folded her legs and lied back on the bad.

The Incubator scratched his ears with his hind legs, answering, "There really is nothing else. But I'll be coming back when I have more stuff to give you. Now then, I wish you luck in your journey to Mitakihara. May She watch over both of you, Canoness Bismark and Priestess Feuer, and may she light your paths," the two Maidens brought a closed hand to their chests and bowed slightly, the Incubator taking his leave through where he entered. With that farewell, he disappeared into the night and left the girls by themselves with the cold wind seeping through the open window.

Satisfied with this, Selena took her exit to the door, before stopping to ask.

"Meer, can I ask something of you?"

The Priestess cocked her head to one side, fiddling with a card labelled 'The Magician'.

"I'll be assigning you to Merry's task-force. I want you to keep an eye on her. Lately, she's been acting suspicious, more so than usual. Can you do that?"

Meer nodded like a diligent child, making an A-OK hand sign.

"Thank you," smiling at her loyalty, Selena left the room and closed the door shut. She headed down the stairs, muttering a prayer of strength to herself as she paced down the steps of the staircase.

That night, an army of Puella Magi slept peacefully in their dorms whilst the Puella Magi guards patrolling inside and outside the mansion kept security within the mansion tight and secure. They needed a good night's sleep if they were to start their journey to Mitakihara. But, no matter what, they will never be fully ready for the foe they were about to face in a bloody battle. As Aesop's fables once said, "It is one thing to say that something should be done, but quite a different matter to do it," Selena herself knew this, but pushed forward otherwise.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a far-away place detached from the world and even reality, streaks of lightning flashed among thick gatherings of dark clouds swarming the skies as thunder clapped at tremendous volumes. Beneath the dark skies was an island in the middle of an violent ocean of red, sitting on it an enormous, towering castle of European design that stood like an imposing behemoth, fit for its owner living inside it. Secured behind black gates, it was place no mere mortal would dare to enter.

It was the domain of Akemi Homura herself, who fashioned this towering castle as a place to stay in and observe her friends from.

In a wide room built in the tallest part of the castle, there was a long king-sized bed surrounded by all sorts of gothic decorations and furniture. The seldom light from the lightning shined on bodies of dead Incubators scattered on the bloodied floor, a tall, slender woman standing at the entrance of the room's balcony. Her long, raven hair was picked up by a breeze and her amethyst earrings jingled as she moved. Her face obscured by shadows as she let out a low groan of irritation, "I felt it again," she muttered, "I feel the presence of something arriving... I can feel them, but yet, I cannot _see_ them..."

Her right hand gripped her tense shoulders, the purple fingernails tracing her nightgown's strap, "Could they be...? No. No Puella Magi can avoid my detection. Unless-" her high-heels stomped on the body of an Incubator and dug into its head, "_They_ are assisting them," she looked at the ocean through her balcony window, watching the churning red sea with a growing smirk that quickly replaced her scowl, "Hmph. If there are those that oppose me, then... let them come. I have imprisoned a god through my birth alone and an ascension that allowed me to create this world for her."

She kicked away the corpse at her feet and it hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

"I, Akemi Homura, will do anything to keep her, and this world, safe."


	2. Chapter 1: Arc 1 - A Time of Peace

_"Tatsuya... Tatsuya, please wake up," _a voice calls, seemingly distant and alone.

_"S-Sister...?"_

_"Tatsuya, help me... please," _she begged, sounding hurt and tearful.

_"Sister? Where are you, sister...?"_

_"Tatsuya... free me..."_

_"Sister!"_

The alarm clock on Kaname Tatsuya's bedside table let out a high-pitched ring which made the 16 year-old's eyes suddenly shot open. He drew in the chilly air with a sharp breath and stared at the poster-filled ceiling of his room, realizing it was already morning, before a hand from his side lifted itself and silenced the noisy alarm clock. Unaware of what was he dreaming about and unable to even remember, Tatsuya sat up on his bed, ruffling his messy, dark pink hair and yawned. The binders were shut, but he could see the morning light peaking through their gaps.

"A dream?" he whispered, rubbing a closed eye. He had lost count of how many times he had dreamed of something so vague, but he still couldn't get used to it

He looked to his bedside clock and saw that it was past 6.45 AM, nearly the time for school. Turning his absent look to his room in an attempt to fully wake up, a shelf of books and novels was to his right, maps of the world were plastered on his wall with pictures famous explorers, and the holographic DVD player near his bed was still turned on. There was an open casing of _Indiana Jones_ lying on the carpeted floor, which Tatsuya picked it up and placed back in his DVD drawer, pressing a button on the wall to turn off his movie player.

"Tatsuya, wake up! It's time for school!" he heard his older sister call to him from downstairs.

Getting up and putting his feet on the carpeted floor, Tatsuya scratched his face as he made his way to the bathroom, too sleepy to be eager for his first day in his last year of middle school, or were they calling it junior high? "Well, time to start the day," Tatsuya sighed.

After a hot shower which woke up the teen, he put on up the brown and black uniform of Mitakihara Middle-School, uncomfortably shifting his shoulders since it was getting smaller the more he grew. After making sure everything was turned off, he pocketed his favorite book, put on a small pocket-watch around his neck and headed downstairs with his schoolbag. His house was the same advanced design of glass window panes it had been ever since he moved here from America, and he was only 3 years-old back then.

He wondered if any of this was ever going to change.

* * *

In the kitchen that was combined with the dining room, Tatsuya's older sister, Kaname Madoka, a young adult of 27 years, prepared breakfast as she wore the business suit that her mother gave to her when she reached the age of 21. Sharply dressed for work, an apron was tied over it and her bright pink hair was let down to reach her back. An almost splitting image of their mother, Madoka placed a hot pan of bread on the table with a pair of oven mitts when she heard her brother coming down. Putting aside the apron and mitts, she poured some juice into two cups with a glass pitcher.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she happily greeted Tatsuya as he came with his new school bag that Madoka bought for him, "Good morning, Tatsuya! Does the uniform still fit?"

"Somewhat. But I can bear with it. It's not like it'll rip or anything," he sat down on the table, putting down his bag and picking a piece of toasted bread from the plate, "Has mother and father's plane reached New York, yet?" he asked, as there was a soft crunch from biting down on the loaf. As usual, Madoka's cooking tasted great, as Tatsuya could tell she had been practicing ever since their parents went overseas.

"Yup. They called me this morning when they landed," Madoka sat down in front of him and took her daily cup of coffee in hand, giggling like a little girl, "Mama sounded so excited to be back in America for a few months."

Tatsuya chuckled through a mouthful of bread, worryingly adding, "I just pray that father keeps her alcohol-intake in line. By the way, is Nagi here, yet?"

"She sent me a message just now. She says she's coming in a few minutes," Madoka took out her cell phone which then created a holographic display of said message as she flipped it open. As always, Nagisa's text came with a digital cheese sticker placed in the corner, "She says that Mami got her a new bike too, after-" Madoka laughed nervously, "You know..."

A small chill went up Tatsuya's spine, his face suddenly drained as his head sunk between his shoulders, "Please... let's not speak about that. You promised."

His response got a laugh from his taller sibling, which made him fluster, "Okay, okay. But I mean, she's been babysitting you ever since you were 4. Ever since you two met, you both looked so-!"

"Oh, look at the time. I think Nagi might here by now," Tatsuya gobbled down an entire fourth piece of bread, dusted his hands, finished his juice in one swig and hoisted his bag over his shoulder. He made a quick effort to the door with a red face, "I'll see you in Sister Tomoe's café after school!"

As she waved him off, there was a big, amused smile on Madoka's face. She still remembered the days when Tatsuya barely knew how to talk or walk, and now he was a teenager. Aside from the hair, he looked like Madoka herself when she was his age, only a bit more masculine. She loved the days where she would carry him in her arms, but, she guessed time flies by when you're having fun. After finishing her coffee, she knew it was time for her leave as well. Humming to herself, Madoka promptly washed the dishes, placed them on the shelf to dry, took up her suitcase and headed for the garage with a car key.

* * *

Exiting the house, the cold, morning breeze greeted Tatsuya as the pocket watch around his neck shook from his running. Stopping at the sidewalk, Tatsuya placed his bag on the ground, sighing as he waited for Nagisa to arrive. The neighborhood was still peaceful as ever, the sun slowly rising from the horizon as a couple of squirrels ran pass Tatsuya's feet. A couple of cars drove past the boy and he could see other students from the neighboring houses walking to school as group of friends or pairs. It was the first day of school after a while, and boy was it going to get tough. Maintaining a balance between studying and playing was going to be difficult. But, that was just how life goes. You struggle till the day to you die.

Taking out his favorite book and flipping to a page that had a bookmark in the shape of a cartoon cheese, he stood there as Tatsuya let the pages grab all his attention as nothing could quite ever bring him back to reality once he started. He always loved reading when he was a kid, hearing about the the stories famous explorers and heroes as he found the thrills of adventures fun and exciting. He wished he could be like them, going on an death-defying journey to save his loved ones while sometimes sacrificing their lives at the end of the story. It sounded so heroic, so significant.

But, it was all just fairy tale nonsense. Nonsense that was fun to read though, still. A boy could dream.

As he flipped through the pages, Tatsuya would have finished a significant number of pages if it wasn't for the sudden noise of a motorcycle engine roaring from down the street. Putting away his book with an exasperated sigh, he already knew who that was. But Tatsuya's eyes still widened in shock when it wasn't a scooter or a moped that arrived in the neighborhood to pick him up for school, but a chopper motorcycle with tall handlebars, a stretched frame, and a bold paint scheme of gold, white and black as its engine roared loudly.

Tatsuya was speechless as the rider nonchalantly parked her bike in front of him and took off her helmet that had decorations in the shape of cat ears on it. The rider's long, silver hair was tied into a tomboyish pony-tail, her cocky smile was that of a exuberant child, and despite being 8 years-older than the boy before her, she was about his height, if not a slightly bit shorter if she got off her motorcycle for a comparison. On her gloved finger, she wore a ring in the shape of a four-sided flower that was given to her by her older sister-figure, Tomoe Mami. It was similar to the hairpin Mami tend to wore from what Tatsuya remembered, but that was not what he was going to ask about.

"Why... Why did you get that bike...?" Tatsuya dragged his face down his face, "Of all things...?"

Nagisa tugged at the collar of her leather jacket and seemed to have missed the meaning of his question, excitingly answering with, "Well my old bike broke, so Mami got this for me last night!" she was beaming as she said that, tapping the revving engine with a gloved finger, "She said that I could get anything I wanted...! As long as I don't break it again. But yeah!"

"No, I mean why a **chopper**, out of all things?! I mean you could have-"

"Well, it was the cheapest that they got, so yeah. There was another cheap scooter like my old one, but it didn't come with this color. I wanted it to be the favorite colors of Mami and I!"

Tatsuya gave her blank stare, then just gave up on even talking about this any further, "I... Ah, just give me my helmet, Nagi. I'm already late for school," he caught a salmon-colored helmet in his hands and put it on, fastening the straps, putting on his bag on and sitting behind Nagisa as the silver-haired driver revved up the engine, putting her helmet back on as she smiled underneath her visor.

"With this thing, we'd be there in no time!" she boasted, the bike spinning around to the direction from where it came from and nearly throwing Tatsuya off. Twisting the handle hard, Tatsuya shrieked as the bike sped out of the area with a loud noise that mostly woke up everyone in the neighborhood. Tatsuya clung onto Nagisa's waist as he had expected to ride something slower and much, much safer, "What'd you think of the bike, Tatsu?!"

"You're crazy, you know that?!" Tatsuya exclaimed as he held on tight, feeling his heart go up into his throat.

Nagisa Momoe, a girl who had befriended Tatsuya when he was just 4, Tatsuya had lost count of how many times he had gone on rides with her that made him hold her like this. If it was one thing he knew she liked, there was nothing that Nagisa loved more than the feeling of going on rides that would nearly get herself arrested for speeding. it was almost as if she dared the police to arrest her everyday, or just the thrill of it excited her. It was something he had to deal with for years ever since she got her driver's license.

* * *

The city of Mitakihara, a capital filled with hundreds of landmarks, sites, tourist attractions, shopping-district zones and traffic-filled roads. The center of the capital was a bustling city of trade and shops, monorail trains zooming at top speeds to send workers to their offices as the city hasn't changed a bit over the years, in a bad nor good way. The farther parts of the city had undergone some renovation to clear out some abandoned areas, but that was about it. The city still stood proud to this very day, boasting a total population of about a hundred thousand people.

What also has not changed in recent years was the middle-school of Mitakihara, an advanced school that was the first educational center to be established in the town. With its design having many glass walls, hundreds windows and wide corridors, there had been some accidents here and there. But the school was very much the same it been as Madoka previously studied here. The thought of coming back here after summer vacation was an afterthought since after 10 minutes of speeding through traffic jams, nearly hitting lamp-posts, possibly breaking the speed limit and almost running over puppy, Nagisa and Tatsuya came to their destination. Tatsuya swore there were some cops chasing them, but it was probably just his imagination.

Nagisa parked her bike on the side of the road, near the entrance of a lush park that lead to the school. The bike's crude design caught looks from some of the students that were on their way to school, but Tatsuya ignored them. Even though it was only a 10-minute ride, Tatsuya was already tired from that hellish experience which Nagisa called 'fun'.

"Oh, good grief," Tatsuya groaned, arms shaking as he took off his helmet and handed it back to Nagisa. It was going to take a while for him to get used to doing this every morning from now on, "Anyway, thanks for the ride," he said without looking, stepping off the bike with shaky legs and fastening his bag's straps, "I still wonder what was Sister Tomoe thinking when she bought you this thing..."

"No problem!" Nagisa beamed as she revved the engine again, "You're coming over to the cheese-cake shop to help with the deliveries right? Mami and I have plenty of orders to deal with."

"Yes, yes," Tatsuya ran a hand through his hair and then rushed for the park entrance, shouting, "Tell Miss Tomoe I said 'Hi'!" he heard the sound of a motorcycle drive away, along with some police sirens which he _prayed _again that it was just his imagination, _"Oh dear..."_

As soon as he entered the park, Tatsuya walked on a clear path with other students that were either excited for their first day of school, were complaining non-stop at the thought of studying again, or were just plain apathetic as they lifelessly walked towards the school with tired eyes. Tatsuya was on the fence with this, as he never really minded studying. With one hand pocketed and had the other holding the book he was reading whilst he walked, Tatsuya was once again engrossed in the pages of his favorite book. Trees covered the sides of the path as they blocked some sunlight to spare the students from the heat, Tatsuya walking underneath the streaks of sun to get some more light onto his book.

Passing by a small creek, Tatsuya was too busy with his book to notice one of the students calling to him from behind as he rushed towards the bookworm.

"Oi, Tatsuya! Tatsuya! Dammit, I'm right behind you! Tatsuya! **Tatsuya!**"

It took a fifth try, but the pink-haired boy finally tuned back to reality, heard the person calling him and turned around to see another teen catching up to him, "Jean?" he recognized the boy not only from the spiky, blonde hair, but also the small bandage on his cheek which covered a wound from a fencing accident, and the rose on his breast pocket which was grown in France. Jean-Baudin Victore, best friend since the start of middle-school and French exchange-student, "Oh."

Tatsuya put away his book and watched as the taller boy stopped in front of him to catch his breath, hands on his knees as he laughed between his wheezing, "You're head's always up in the sky when you're reading something, you know? Man, some things just don't change you," he coughed into his fist and then puffed his chest, standing a foot higher than his best friend, "Anyway, I, Jean-Baudin Victore, have returned from my homeland!" he boasted with a hand in the air, gathering some annoyed stares from the other students which only made Tatsuya embarrassed.

"Heh, it's good to see you too, Jean," Tatsuya patted him on the back, urging him to continue moving so people could stop staring at them. Tatsuya quickly changed the topic so that they could keep moving, "How was your trip back to France?"

"Well, it was the usual," Jean gave a shrug, speaking in fluent Japanese that hadn't gone rusty, to his friend's surprise, "Pretty women everywhere (Not like the ones here aren't or anything), I got to serve better French cooking to my sister, parents ask me if I'm doing great here with my sister, asked me if I got a girlfriend, told them I got rejected by 10 girls so far. Ah, it's so-so."

Tatsuya laughed, the two continuing their walk to school together.

"Oh, I would like to go to France someday, or maybe anywhere that isn't here," Tatsuya mused, looking up at the sky, "I wonder what's it like outside Mitakihara."

"Trust me when I say this: When you reach France at night, tired and exhausted from a long-as-hell line in the airport, don't take the train. There was this one _bouboule_ that tried stealing my sister's purse. Man, was I not in the mood to keep my calm!" he raised a fist which was bandaged with medical wraps, "Guy managed to cut me, but I sent him to the hospital for that!"

"Are you ever in the mood?" Tatsuya joked with a half-smile.

"Hah! You may be right about that one."

After a few minutes of walking and talking nonstop about how it was like in France, the duo finally arrived at a set of tall gates that guarded the entrance to the enormous, prestigious school Tatsuya and Jean have not seen in a while. The school, gates and thought of studying was as imposing as ever, and it was their first day of school in their last year of middle-school. It was going to be a year of hellish studying, there was no doubt in that, as the pair took their first steps pass the gates they had not visited after a while and entered the school with the countless number of students near them.


	3. Chapter 2: A Kaname's Daily Schoolife

The first ringing bell signalled the start of classes, echoing through the numerous hallways of the prestigious middle-school as the chatting students of each class stood up and greeted their homeroom teachers respectfully when they entered the rooms. Tatsuya and Jean were at their seats in the back of the class as a woman in her late 30s walked in with her teaching materials, quietly singing to herself as they all stood up to greet their teacher properly.

Saotome Kazuko was her name, from what Tatsuya remembered from his sister. A teacher who was here since Madoka was a student, she was a happily-married woman who loved her students greatly. His sister often told him about her friend, Sayaka and her hearing Teacher Saotome sometimes rant about past relationships in great detail when she was still single. It wasn't very easy to get used to on a daily basis, from what Madoka had told him. Tatsuya thanked whoever she got together with as they were all spared from that horrible fate.

"Alright, class, welcome back to school!" Teacher Saotome beamed, waving a long ruler and adjusting her glasses, "I hope you all enjoyed your vacation and will put more than twice the effort in your studies this year," there was a collective groan from the class, "Now, now, vacation's over," she chuckled, wagging her measuring tool in a teasing way.

The students sat back down and Jean groaned, planting his face on the table with textbooks on the table hiding his face, "Ah, man, now I wish I was back in France picking up some ladies from the neighbourhood. They always rejected me, but this is just too much in comparison!"

"Come on, Jean, once you finish school in a few years, you can get as much ladies as you want," Tatsuya flipped a page of his favorite book, eyes stuck to its content, "Like it or not, we're still students."

"Alright, class, take out your text books and turn to page 12, please," Teacher Saotome switched on the digital whiteboard and took out a textbook thick enough to be used as a door-stopper, "Today we will learn about your favorite topic: Maths! I hope you all revised last year's topics."

Tatsuya hesitantly put away his novel, but upon feeling intimidated by the display of numbers when he opened his textbook, he muttered in fear, "Oh, dear God," putting his textbook on the table surface, Tatsuya simply reopened his novel beneath his table and Jean sought to use his own textbook as a makeshift pillow. Tatsuya wasn't lazy when it came to his studies, but sometimes he just couldn't stomach it.

As Teacher Saotome went on with her lecture of topics like Sequences, Indices and the dreaded lessons of Algebra, Tatsuya's mind drifted back into the world of his novel lke a kid attracted by the smell of sweet cotton candy. He placed it on top of his textbook this time and made them both stand up to make it more concealed. For a while, he read for about 20-30 pages, eyes glued to the pages as he did not hear the footsteps approaching his table.

"Kaname, can you answer this question?" he heard Kazuko's voice in front of him, sounding the same, yet, carrying a tone of dread that had a menacing presence he could feel.

Tatsuya closed his books, his novel sandwiched between his textbook's pages, and slowly looked up to see Teacher Saotome bending her ruler threatingly, almost snapping it in half. Jean was already up from his nap, as Tatsuya cleared his throat to answer the question he saw on the board, "Ummm... 2a+3c?"

"Good!" she happily said, despite still looking very, very angry. She went back to the front and continued with her lecture as if nothing had happened. She swung her ruler through the air and went back to her lesson almost instantly. The way she could switch between happy middle-school teacher and whatever _that_ was, was pretty much one of the most scariest things Tatsuya had ever seen in his life. And he read Twilight.

Putting his book away, Tatsuya let out a quiet sigh of relief, ignoring the chuckle from Jean, "Let's not do that again."

"Whatever you say, pal. Whatever you say."

* * *

Maths class had finally ended, to the relief of almost everyone in the room. As cheery as Teacher Saotome was, rumors said that angering her would provide you with a delicious fate worse than death. Rumors say that a bunch of students ended up leaving the school after breaking her limit and Tatsuya assumed that after that experience, she lost some bit of that mercy Madoka used to talk about.

Now, instead of having their minds tortured with numbers, the class was now enduring physical torture in the track &amp; run field, doing exercises such as the 100-meter run, pole jumps and sit-ups to the orders of their boistorous P. E teacher, Miki Sayaka. A close friend of Tatsuya's sister, she was a proud young woman with short, blue hair, a jumpsuit with folded sleeves that showed off her toned arms and a hair clip in the shape of a musical note. There was a small, ornate ring on her finger that looked similar to the one Madoka and her other friends wore.

Teacher Miki blew her neck-held whistle, moving her arm sharply through the air like a sharp sword, "Alright, boys, time for a warm-up! Drop to the ground and give me 50!" her order came with another blow of her whistle that pierced their ears.

Following her orders, Jean and Tatsuya lied on the ground and grunted as they attempted to do a suicidal number of push-ups on the grass. The hot sun made them sweat non-stop in their P. E uniforms as the tall Teacher Miki observed her students with a cheeky grin and a hawkish glare. Her female students were on the track field, doing their most to best their torture which was almost tame in comparison.

"Come on, I did better when I was your age!" taunted their teacher, who folded her arms around her bust teasingly, "Is this what all you boys can do?!"

"W-Why does it have to be fifty?" Tatsuya gritted his teeth, feeling his arms slowly go out from the first 12 push-ups. He looked at the Frenchman beside him and could barely say his next words, "How are y-you holding up, Jean?"

"Heh, I've been through worst," Jean laughed, a cocky grin on his face which had an expression of despair, "A-Although, maybe I shouldn't have stopped doing my daily exercises when I was in France. My arms are freaking k-killing me."

"Faster, faster!" Teacher Miki shouted, stomping the ground, "Anyone who agrees to do this _and_ a run in the track field gets their number lowered to 25!"

Jean and Tatsuya's arms gave out the moment that announcement reached their ears. After some long panting for air, they picked themselves up and joined the girls in the run with some of the other boys. It was now their legs' turn to go out and suffer as they felt lactic acid pour into their muscles. All the while, Teacher Miki watched her students with an almost-permanent grin on her face.

"That's the spirit!" Teacher Miki laughed and blew her whistle.

After a tiring number of 25 push-ups to break their arms, and a exhausting run on the track field with the girls to break their legs, Tatsuya and Jean now rested underneath a nearby tree for the remainder of class. They both sweated profusely and shared a water bottle since Jean had left his behind at class. Tatsuya placed his book on his head as improvised shade as the sun beat down on them, as if it was actively trying to actively kill them through its presence alone. Meanwhile, Teacher Miki had gone off somewhere to get something from her office.

"Out of all the subjects-" Jean panted, wiping his sweaty bandaged cheek, "-we have to take during this damn heat. Goddammit, Teacher Miki, show us some mercy, you old hag!" the blonde exclaimed loudly into the sky with an angry fist. There was no answer, and Jean was about to bring a bottle of cold water to his lips when he suddenly heard that very teacher behind him.

"Who's this 'old hag' you're talking about, huh?" Teacher Miki suddenly popped from behind the tree, startling Jean and making him spill his water all over the ground as she laughed like a teenager that hasd't grown up. A hand to her chest, she teasingly accused the boy, "You're not possibly talking about me, are you? Look I, so old, to young eyes?" her attempts at breaking the ice with a pop culture joke felt flat as Jean threw the empty water bottle away and groaned from the heat.

"Hey, Sister Miki," Tatsuya greeted her, wiping his oily forehead with a towel. He felt that the presence of a person he saw as an older sister every since he was younger made the heat a little bit more tolerable, "It's been a while."

Teacher Miki leaned on the tree, popping into her mouth a small, red sweet she had in her pocket and skillyfully throwing the wrapper into a nearby trash can, "How's Madoka? 'She still the same as usual?"

"Somewhat. It's not like anything weird has happened lately," he sat up straight and stretched his body, cracking a joint or two. Tatsuya still felt sore from the exercises, almost all of his limbs crying in pain, "How goes living with Sister Sakura?"

Before the teacher could answer, Jean put a closed fist to his mouth and coughed, whispering to his friend's ear, "I bet it must be nice for two girls to be living alone together. You know what I'm saying?" he said with a perverse smile, making his friend fluster in reply.

"I heard that, Frenchie!"

"You're supposed to hear it, you old hag!"

"Now, now, let's not argue in the heat..."

Although he did his best to prevent the argument from getting hotter as the temperature was right now, it was futile. But Jean eventually got a punishment of 60 push-ups after they were both caught by another teacher who had heard their shouting from inside the school. As for Teacher Miki, she was sent to be disciplined by the head teacher for her inappropriate behavior. It was the 8th time the two had argued like this, and it didn't get any better this year either. Maybe things will get better instead. Maybe.

* * *

After a lengthy class of physical education and some rather 'interesting' topics in Biology class on reproduction, break time came to be. Although some weren't so keen on eating after the presentation they watched, Tatsuya and Jean took out their food and headed up to the rooftop since it was really one of the best places to eat in a school. Expectantly, the roof was clean as always and large as the rest of the school. The weather was fair with the sun now hiding behind some clouds, the wind blowing on the two lone boys on the roof as they sat on a stone bench.

Opening up his lunchbox, Tatsuya's stomach growled at the sight of the glorious, healthy meal his sister had prepared for him. Jean would have been envious of him if he didn't have the loaf of bread in his bag, brought with him from his hometown where it was baked by professionals that had made it right in front of Jean with amazing expertise.

Jean bit a piece off his meal, chewing with sheer ecstasy, "Ah, I missed eating this. Wasn't very kind to my wallet, though," he hungrily bit off another piece and opened his lunchbox for some condements.

Clasping his hands and thanking his sister who was currently at work for the gratious meal, Tatsuya ate with a pair of readied chopsticks and took a mouthful of rice and sliced beef. The wasabi he had in his lunchbox was burning hot, yet, delicious at the same time.

"Hey, Tatsuya, you think the clubs are gonna open any time soon?" Jean started a conversation, shaking some pepper onto his bread. He violently sneezed when some of it got into his nose, nearly making him drop his meal, "Goddammit it!"

Tatsuya wondered for a bit about his question, chopsticks still in his mouth as he looked out into the view of the city in front of them. From here, they could see the monorails heading into the city, skyscrapers in the distance towering over everything else in Mitakihara. In the distance, Tatsuya could see the neighborhood districts, the apartment districts, a small block outside their school which had a park and more, "I think they're going to open in a few weeks. Although I think enlisting starts tomorrow. Why?"

"Well-" Jean rubbed his nose and put away his pepper, zipping up his lunchbox, "-you're gonna join the Archery club again, right? My hand's been itching to get back into fencing."

"Maybe. The Archery club never really held my interest that much actually," the pink-haired boy gave a shrug and took a second mouthful of food into his mouth, "Maybe I should I join the book club instead?" Tatsuya said with a full mouth.

"Aw, come on! You were one of the best in the team. Even your sister was happy when you joined them last year!" the Frenchman raised a finger to add to his point, "One last year with them can't hurt. Come on. You and me, like last year, dominating the clubs as their best players! The dynamic duo of Mitakihara!"

Tatsuya shrugged again, but actually seemed to consider the choice, "I guess I could do it for our last year here."

"That's the spirit!" Jean exclaimed, playfully slapping him on the back and making Tatsuya cough up some of his food by accident, "Oh... sorry about that," he took out a napkin and wiped his coughing friend's face, patting him on the back. The school bell then rang and caught the attention of both students, "Oh, crap, English is next!" he shoved the entire bread into his mouth and quickly packed up his lunchbox, Tatsuya doing the same with a mouthful of meat.

Rushing back down the staircases, they ran through the hallways to head back to class, ducking past teachers and other students on the way. Suddenly, Tatsuya stopped in his tracks, swallowed his food and examined his neck area with a hand, exclaiming in horror, "M-My pocket watch! I-I left it on the roof!"

"Are you serious?! Whe- How?!"

Tatsuya checked his pockets for his pocket watch. That very pocket watch being a memoir of his family that carried a picture of his family years ago, the thought of losing it made Tatsuya's face turned white. Gulping, Tatsuya spun on his heel and was going to sprint back up to the roof the get it back when they heard a rattling chain.

"Looking for this?" Teacher Miki appeared behind Jean, smirking as she swung a pocket watch in her hand by the chain. Wagging a disapproving finger, she clicked her tongue, "What kind of little brother leaves a gift his own sister and mother gave to him?"

The aforementioned little brother laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head and thankfully bowing to his teacher, "T-Thank you, Sis- I mean - Teacher Miki. You saved me there," Teacher Miki tossed him his pocket watch and he caught it in his hands, opening it up to see that it and the picture of his family inside was still in good condition. He sighed in relief, putting back around his neck, "That was close."

"If you lose that again, I ain't helping you," Teacher Miki turned around, her neck-held whistle swinging as she did, "Head back to class already, you two. I doubt you wanna be late for this one."

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" they replied in sync and continued their rush back to their classroom, the Teacher smiling as she walked away.

* * *

Thus, after hours and hours of studying, telling new teachers how to pronounce their names, meeting new 'mysterious' transfer students and some more arguing between Jean and Teacher Miki, the final bell rang and signalled the end of the first school day. It was past 3 PM in the afternoon when the students flooded out of the classrooms to hang out in places like shopping malls and cafes, almost every student already wishing they could turn back time and make it the holidays once more. Too bad such a thing was nonsense.

Affer retrieving their bags from their lockers, Tatsuya and Jean headed down to the lobby where students were either waiting for their parents to pick them up or hurrying out of the school with their friends to anywhere but here. Looking out the windows, they could see dark rain clouds beginning to gather in the skies.

"Oh, and only now it decides to rain," Jean angrily pointed that out, referring to this morning's scorching heat during Physical Education. He checked his bag to see if he brought an umbrella, only to find none, "Ah, I should really should have checked my bag before school..."

Teacher Miki, looking tired and beat from teaching, walked up to them with her bag slung over one shoulder. Still wearing her track clothing from just now, she wore a pair of blue spectacles, the eyes behind them dull and lifeless, "Ah, the day's finally ended," she said in a dead monotone, almost like a robot. She turned to the windows and spoke in the same tone, "And now it's going to rain. Great. Just what I needed."

Tatsuya gave her a pitiful look, guessing the head teacher wasn't so merciful to her after two more fights with his best friend. He shook her shoulder, asking while not wanting to bother her, "Ummm, Sister Sayaka, do you mind if we carpool with you to Sister Mami's cake shop?" he was confused when his words made the Teacher wince instead.

"Yeah... that reminds me about what happened to my car," Teacher Miki laughed with some sort of dementia to it, frightening the two boys who stood a few feet shorter than her, "I kinda... broke it. Kyo's supposed to be picking me up, but her car got sent for maintanence a few days ago."

"Why do you all have broken vehicles?" Tatsuya muttered under his breath, also referring to Nagisa's accident with her bike.

"So, we walk. Out there?" Jean asked flatly, jerking a thumb to the darkening skies with rumbling thunder, "You've got to be kidding me!"

The teacher was going to reply with an equally-flat tone when the doors to the lobby suddenly burst open from a swift kick, followed by a loud complaint that drew the attention of the trio and basically everyone in the lobby that had ears to hear.

"Jeez, who was the asshole that thought it was a good idea to not put a freaking parking area in front of the damn school, huh?!" a foul mouth with a Pocky stick exclaimed loudly to a point where her voice echoed through the school, belonging to a rather rude-looking woman with fiery-red hair tied into a long ponytail. The badge of a police officer adorned her long-sleeved uniform and cap, as a pistol was kept in a waist holster, an opened box of Pocky sticking out of her pocket.

Sakura Kyouko, veteran police officer of the city and the aforementioned woman who was living with Teacher Miki, she didn't notice the trio in the far parts of the lobby and instead grabbed a nearby student by the collar. She barked in his face as she had a visibly sharp incisor, "Hey, four-eyes, have you seen Sayaka around?" the student whimpered in her grip like a scared puppy, "Hey, I'm talking to you 'ere. Have. You. Seen. Sayaka?!"

"Kyouko!" Teacher Miki angrily shouted at her, making her drop the student in her grip and smile at the blue-haired girl as if she did nothing wrong.

"Oh, there you are!" Officer Sakura waved at her as she walked up the trio who had varying expressions from her actions, "I came here with my police car since my old one's still in the work shop. Hey, Tatsuya, Jean, how's the school life been treating ya'?" she was then confused by the glares shot at her by Teacher Miki, as an imaginary question mark practically appeared above her head, "What, something on my face?" she touched her face with a white-gloved hand.

Tatsuya planted his face in an open palm and sighed, "Good grief..."


	4. Chapter 3: Hangout at Tomoe's

In the bustling city district of Mitakihara, a speeding police car drove through the wet roads as heavy rain poured on the city. The car's wind-wipers turned on to maximum, the vehicle's wheels kicked up the water behind while its indoors were decorated extensively by its red-headed driver. Teacher Miki and Officer Sakura in the front, Tatsuya and Jean in the back, the seats had an unbearable stench that smelled like food, both old and new. Officer Sakura sped past any car in front of her, honking her horn non-stop.

For someone that was supposed to be one of the city's top police officers, Officer Sakura's driving was akin to drag racing. Tatsuya and Jean held on to their seats so sharp turns wouldn't throw them around, and it didn't help that the back seatbelts were broken by previous 'backseaters'; Teacher Miki seemed pretty used to it, as she was calmly polishing her spectacles with a red cloth while texting on her phone.

"S-Sister Sakura," Tatsuya addressed her the same way he addressed all of his sister's best friends, "Aren't you supposed to be patrolling the neighborhood? I'm sure you have work to do," looking down, the pink-haired boy went silent at the sight of a dried bloodstain on the seat. It probably belonged to someone who didn't want a ride back to jail, or a ride with Kyoko in general.

"Nah, I'm on my break," Officer Sakura shrugged, nearly throwing the boys off with another sharp turn around a corner that sent a trash can flying into the air and crashing back down onto the pavement. Officer Sakura lifted the beak of her uniform cap slightly, looking at the mess behind her, "Woops."

"Kyouko!" Teacher Miki scolded her, "Pay attention when you're driving! If we get a scratch on this thing, we'd have to pay for it. We're spending so much on food already!"

Another turn threw Jean into the car door, his face planting itself on the wet window with Tatsuya letting out a mild shriek next to him, "Hey, can you just focus on drivin-?"

"Don't worry, Sayaka! I've been busting crooks left and right, so my pay's been pretty good," Kyoko fished out a Pocky stick from a pocket and threw it into the air, catching it between her teeth after several spins. She offered the red packet to the pair at the back, "Want one?"

"N-No, thank you," Tatsuya waved it off, a hand still clutching the latex seat while he tried his best to keep a calm smile on his face. Jean was going to answer when they hit a speed bump, making him jump from his seat and hit the ceiling. Jean grasped his head and cursed in his language under his breath, whining in pain all the while as Tatsuya patted him on the back.

"Come on, you two need more sugar in your blood. Ah, whatever," Officer Sakura stored it in a cup-holder after fishing out another stick for herself.

Teacher Miki scowled, commenting with the knowledge she has as a P.E teacher, "If you continue eating like that, you're gonna get fat, you know?" she teasingly poked the officer in the stomach, smiling, "I can feel it _riiiight_ here."

"H-Hey, stop that! Don't poke the driver when she's driving!" Kyoko's face turned red like her hair, slowly squirming in her seat from the teacher's assault.

The two were in their world as the two boys in the back felt downright unsure of what to feel from seeing 2 young women act like complete kids. Tatsuya met them when he was a 4 or 5, remembering back then that they were really, _really_ close friends; he looked at his blonde friend and gave a flat stare at the hint of blood slowly trailing down Jean's nostril. He felt the urge to smack the perverse thoughts from his best friend's head but he decided not to.

The car radio then crackled to life, the two women cutting their fun and turning up the volume, "All forces in the area, we got a robbery at a clerk shop around street 2-41. Robbers are lightly armed and on foot. Proceed with caution."

Kyoko gasped, "Hang on, boys, that's my favorite store right there!" shifting gears and stomping the pedal with her boot, the burst of speed made the two teens sink into their seats as the police vehicle drove through the roads like a speed demon. A dog further on the road ahead jumped away to avoid turning itself into quick roadkill as the police car's sirens echoed through the city.

* * *

After getting to watch Officer Sakura punt some crooks in person, feeling sorry for the last one that begged for mercy after witnessing his allies' fates, and watching Officer Sakura being lectured by her superiors for 5 minutes, the group finally arrived at a small café in town. Parking underneath the sun as rain water dripped from the vehicle, Officer Sakura was the first to exit the vehicle as she kicked the door open and leaped out off her car.

"Finally! We're here," she stretched her arms, tossing her cap into the car seat to show off her large, red pony-tail, "Come on, let's get something to eat!"

The other three got out of the car and Teacher Miki smiled at the view of the small café which was peppered with frilly decorations from the outside. A gold and white sign on above the door read, "Tomoe and Momoe's cake shop", the three following the redhead into the small building as Tatsuya and Jean were still feeling nauseous from that drive. Inside, there was a small bar counter with stools as circular tables were arranged around the place, waitresses walking around go serve the few customers that were around for the moment.

Tatsuya breathed in the fresh scent of perfume, recognizing some of the sleek, but classic furniture as similar to an old Victorian inn. It even had the same cozy atmosphere thanks to the good decisions of its architectural designs done by its owner. The group's thoughts of earlier's arrest disappeared when they entered the place and were greeted by its owner who walked from behind to counter the moment she spotted them coming in.

Wearing a uniform and a golden apron which complemented her bust that had a badge pinned to it, her clothes fitted with the Victorian aesthetics of her café. Slightly taller and older than the officer and teacher, Tomoe Mami was a blonde woman with hair tied into two thick corkscrews which rested on her shoulders and a smile that was almost motherly. Jean noted to Tatsuya that she was bigger than Officer Sakura and Teacher Miki in more ways than one, which earned him a sharp jab in the arm.

"Sup', Mami!" Officer Sakura waved at her.

"The place is the same as always, huh?" Teacher Miki looked back at the two boys behind her, who seemed happy to see the blonde woman again, "Hey, you two, greet your elders."

Tatsuya realized this and gave a deep bow, "Greetings, sister Tomoe."

Jean echoed the respectful action, putting a hand to the rose in his breast pocket, "Good afternoon, _Mademoiselle_."

Tomoe Mami, the woman who stood in front of them with a hand on her cheek, smiled and gave a hearty laugh. Being the senior of the two adults accompanying Tatsuya and Jean, she spoke in a respectful, calm tone that showed maturity ever since she was their age, "It's good to see you all again. Nagi's out for a delivery at the moment, so I might be busy with the café later. Unless - you two have time to spare and help around," she produced two aprons similar to hers, gesturing to the teens, "You two wouldn't mind helping, would you?"

"Why, of course!" Jean replied almost immediately, proceeding to speak out in a passionate voice, "When a lady is in need of dire help, it is a gentleman's duty to come forward and assist her! How about you, Tatsuya?" he nudged his best friend in the shoulder.

"Sure," he nodded, "If it's for Sister Tomoe, I wouldn't mind at all."

Teacher Miki stifled a laugh, "'Gentleman', you sure about that?" her comment went unheard by Jean, but it got a small laugh from Officer Sakura.

Miss Tomoe handed the boys their aprons and clasped her hands together, "Well then, let's get started, shall we?" she beamed as more customers arrived at the door behind them. The boys tied their uniforms around their backs and smiled at each other before heading off with their work. The two young adults sat down at the counter stools, the bartender pouring them a few drinks and taking their orders.

Sooner or later, the place was slowly filled with customers tired from work and seeking some good food, students who wanted a place to hang around at, and families looking for a good meal. Tatsuya and Jean bolted from table to table, taking orders from a variety of Mitakihara's populace with their joint teamwork and other waitresses. They were having some difficulties as more came, until Nagisa finally came back and burst through the doors with her biker helmet under one arm and her leather suit on.

"Sorry, I'm late!" she apologized, tying back her white pony-tail on.

"Nagi!" Tatsuya called to his older but shorter friend, carrying three plates of the shops signature cheesecake to a family, "You mind helping out here? We got more customers than usual."

"Okay!" she exclaimed in English, "With me, you'll be done in a flash! This is nothing!" after some boasting, she headed to the back to change out of her biker gear. Beside the door that she went in was another that Jean came out of with a drenched apron and plunger in his hands.

"Alright, it was a pain in the ass, but the bathroom's okay now!"

Watching this ordeal were Teacher Miki and Officer Sakura, sitting on the bar stools as they sipped some of Mami's special tea. Sakura had a plate of cheesecake in hand, nearly eating it clean like the other plates piled up on the bar. The bartender expressed understandable shock from the enormous pile and Teacher Miki seemed envious of the teens, for her own reasons.

"Man, life as a student was so much more better," Teacher Miki shook her cup of tea, staring at her wistful expression which reflected in the drink as she grumbled, "Stupid Head Teacher, I'd show her a piece of my mind one day or another..."

"Calm down, Sayaka. At least we don't have homework anymore, right?" Officer Sakura said with a mouth full of cake.

Teacher Miki laughed out loud, but still sounded pitiful, "Yeah, I'd rather be doing homework instead of constantly asking it from students over and over and _over_ again," she sipped down all her tea and turned back to the bartender who had just finished carrying Kyoko's enormous pile of empty plates into the kitchen, "Bartender, another!"

Coming out in the shop's signature golden apron and some rather frilly clothing, Nagisa joined the fray and assisted the two struggling boys in their battle, giving a high-five to both of them upon arrival. Even though she was 8-9 years older than them, she looked more like a competent little sister when it came to work, since she zipped between tables like lightning. The sight brought a smile to her older sister's face when she came back in from watering the plants outside.

Miss Tomoe handed her pitcher of water to the bartender and asked her to put it back in the storage room. She joined the teacher and officer at their seats, smiling from ear to ear, "It's nice to have such nice kids helping me out here. It reminds me of ourselves when we took up part-time jobs."

Officer Sakura swallowed her 13th cake and spoke up with a lip covered in cream, "Speaking of kids, Mami, I think I remember seeing Nagisa speeding near Tatsuya's school this morning. _Man_, her bike is fast, so my partner and I just let her go!" she laughed like it was joke, but Miki and Tomoe did not. Rather, Teacher Miki could feel a menacing aura from the blonde beside her and felt a chill run up her spine.

"I beg your pardon, Sakura? Speeding? I shall see to this," Miss Tomoe said in a flat monotone, excusing herself from the bar and walking up to Nagisa with a rather ominous smile, "Nagi, may I see you for a second?"

"Sure! I did pretty good, right?" Teacher Miki heard that from behind as she looked away and tried to calmly drink her tea.

Oblivious to what was going on and what she had done, Officer Sakura shrugged and went back to her 14th cake while Teacher Miki did the same. Except that she plugged her ears to block out Miss Tomoe's scolding and Nagisa's pleas as her cheeks were being pinched as if she was a 6 year-old girl. Tatsuya and Jean just moved along and did their work, minding their own business to avoid her wrath.

* * *

A few hours later, the sunset light seeped through the café's polished windows as the three adults were one of the few left sitting in the cafe. Most of the customers and part-timers had already left for home, Nagisa and the two boys having head out to a small store nearby to get some snacks. A soothing violin concert by Kamijou Kyousuke, a famous musician, could be heard over the antique radio Mami had as the melody swayed through the air.

Teacher Miki nonchalantly swung her neck-held whistle by the strap, her spectacles lying down on the counter, "Hey, have you two seen Madoka lately? I heard she's been busy with work for a while."

"Well, she is the owner of her mother's company now," Miss Tomoe sipped her tea, resting the cup on a saucer plate, "If anything, it is quite normal for her to be so occupied with work now. She has to do it if she wants to support her family."

"If there's someone you be asking about, Sayaka, it's that Akemi girl," Officer Sakura interjected, "Haven't seen _her_ in a while."

"Yeah, that's true," Teacher Miki gave a small nod of agreement, putting her whistle on the table and resting her head on one hand, "But, it does make me worry after - well - you know."

Officer Sakura bit her fork and looked at her in confusion while Miss Tomoe frowned at Miki's words, saying, "Of course, it's not easy to forget such a thing had happened."

"Forget what?" asked the police officer.

Teacher Miki placed her spectacles back on, adjusting them with one finger and explaining it to her a low tone, "Well, if I remember correctly, when Tatsuya reached the age of 13, he had a high fever when Madoka was out of the country with her mother for work. His father didn't know what to do, not even Madoka and her mother when they found out," she rubbed the blue ring on her finger, eyes closing, "After a whole year, he would have died if it wasn't for Mami and I."

"We used magic to cure him, but it was still difficult," Miss Tomoe added, passing her empty tea-cup to the bartender to wash, "It's been years since we've seen the Wraiths, so I'm sure that him, Nagi and Jean are still unaware of what had happened. The same goes for Madoka and her parents."

Officer Sakura was silent from the story, thinking about what it was like in Tatsuya's situation, "The kids' still been thinking the three of us are normal people, huh?" she stared at her crimson ring, along with the red mark on her fingernail which all of them had in different colors. It was the mark of a Puella Magi, as they have had these magical powers for 13 years already.

"Yeah, and I hope it stays that way," Teacher Miki stretched her arms, wringing her hands, "Only God knows what would happen if they found out."

Agreeing with her, the two nodded.

* * *

The sliding doors of a nearby convenience store slid open and made way for the trio as they exited the store with bags of snacks and cooking ingredients. Nagisa had bought some cheese and milk as her usual snacks and Jean had bought some ingredients to cook dinner for his sister and himself back home. Having some simple bags of chips and soda in hand, Tatsuya watched as Nagisa happily skipped around the sidewalk in the brightness of the streetlights and showed disapproval at her recklessness.

"Nagi, it's dangerous to do that on the sidewalk. We shouldn't keep Miss Tomoe waiting either."

"Lighten up, man, a true adult is always a kid at heart!" Jean exclaimed with a laugh, to his best friend's reluctant acceptance.

The streets were nearly empty at this point of time, not looking so bright and happy as when the sun was still up in the sky now that it was already night time. Cars could be seen heading back home and Tatsuya made sure Nagisa didn't attempt anymore of her prancing around, to the latter giving constant childish pouting in return as Jean just watched. It was like watching two siblings bicker with each other. Then, their attention was brought to bare when they suddenly heard someone calling for help.

"A girl?" Jean looked around for the source, hearing more from an alley down the road.

Suddenly, Nagisa dropped her stuff on the ground and bolted towards the source of the screaming, Tatsuya and Jean telling her to come back until they ended up doing the same thing and following her instead. They followed her into a small alley where the roofs blocked out most of the moonlight and they stopped at a dead-end, where three teenagers surrounded little girl that looked no older than 12. They were high-school students, seniors of Tatsuya and Jean, and they looked rather ruthless from their tattoed bodies, scarred faces and piercings.

They did not notice to trio behind them, yet, as they were too busy attempting to coerce to girl into coming along with them. Her brows furrowed, Nagisa looked at Tatsuya with a face that seemed to ask for permission to act, and reluctantly, Tatsuya nodded. He wasn't a fan of violence, but he knew they couldn't just stand by and let this carry on. With a puffed-up chest and hands on her waist, Nagisa stepped forward and intervened, "Hey, you three chowder-heads, how about you pick on someone your own size?!"

The three students and the girl finally noticed them and one with a bandaged cheek similar to Jean's responded in an annoyed tone, the bandage probably being there for show, "The Hell is a runt and two idiots doing in a place like this? Scram! We're busy here!"

The white-haired girl scowled, flicking her pony-tail and spitting on the floor, her tone and attitude suddenly a lot more aggressive and brash than how she usually spoke and acted, "I'll have you know I'm 25 years-old, kid. So, if you don't wanna have a free black eye, how about you leave her alone and beat it?"

"That's right!" Jean joined her, all too eager for a fight, "A true gentleman never strikes a woman! Pack up your tattooed asses and get going, you pieced of disowned garbage!"

Tatsuya was reluctant to fight with them, never the one to get into a fight. But when he saw the high school students reaching for their weapons in their pockets, he knew there was now no way out and sighed, "Good grief - Nagi, go easy on them, will you? I don't want Sister Tomoe complaining about you sending someone to the hospital again."

"Roger that!" Nagisa cracked her knuckles and narrowed her eyes, a cocky smile spread on her face as she rolled up her biker jacket's sleeves. At times like these, she wasn't a child in the least, but a hot-blooded biker that had no qualms fighting dirty. The sight of a damsel in distress just snapped something inside her, "Hey, tattoo face!" she pointed to the leader, who was reaching for a weapon from his uniform's jacket, "If you're looking for your knuckle dusters, they're not in there, but in your back pocket!"

The leader looked bewildered from her words, but when he moved his hands and checked his jeans for his weapon, he gasped in shock when she was right. Jean and Tatsuya laughed behind Nagisa, the two other students sharing a surprised look while the little girl behind them opened her mouth in awe.

Nagisa smirked, one eye closed and one finger raised, "And your next line is: 'How did you know about, you brat?!', right?"

"How'd ya know about that, you damn brat?!" the student bellowed, and then cringed at his own words as Takuya and Jean stifled some more laughter. The kid put a hand on his forehead and shook his head, "What the Hell...?"

"Hehe, if you're wondering how I knew, look at your shirt and hands!" Nagisa pointed to the scratches on the back of his palm and the blood which wasn't his on his inner shirt, "If blood's right there, then you must have used it just now with your jacket off! If your jacket was off, then you couldn't have put your knuckle dusters in them! That made it _really _obvious to anyone who isn't blind, you know!" Nagisa gave a cheeky laugh, which just pissed off the boy even further.

The student then snarled and put on his weapon, raising both fists.

"And your next line is: 'The Hell are you going to do about that, you damn bitch?!'"

The leader then sprinted towards Nagisa with his weapon, raising his fist in the air, "The Hell are you going to do about that, you damn bitch?!" he bellowed as he threw a right hook at her and gasped when she dashed sideways. In mere seconds, Nagisa grabbed his arm, swiftly kicked him off his feet and then slammed him into the ground face-first with one arm twisted behind his back; She was stronger than she looked as the student screamed in pain, Nagisa's cocky smile still on her face as she twisted his arm further.

The knuckle dusters on the floor was picked up by Jean, who taunted, "Alright, who's next?"

The other two then unsurprisingly ran off, with their leader, who Nagisa released, following them from behind as they scurried off whimpering like scared dogs that wet themselves. One of them probably did wet himself, since they could smell a foul odor afterwards.

"Easy as pie!" Nagisa laughed, dusting her hands as if she just took out the trash.

Walking up to the little girl who's mouth was gaping open in awe, Tatsuya shook her by the shoulder, asking, "Are you alright?"

She stared at him and then averted her gaze to someone behind the group before running past all of them. The trio looked behind to see a young girl around Tatsuya's age standing behind them as the little girl ran up to her. She looked like if she had been watching all along, the little girl clutching her by the skirt and happily exclaiming, "Meer! You're here!"

Tatsuya looked at the girl named "Meer", who had ocean-blue hair that reached her shoulders, a thick scarf around her neck, spectacles and a blank, aloof expression as she patted the little girl on the head. She looked like a foreigner of European descent as Tatsuya got a good look of her face. As she turned to them, a glimmer of light reflected of a blue ring on her finger which had a red mark on her fingernail.


	5. Chapter 4: A Night of Magic

As the moonlight seeped through the gaps of the rooftops above them, a calm wind blew through the alley where Tatsuya and his friends stood and looked at the aloof girl in front of them. A strange aura surrounding her person, the bespectacled girl patted the little girl the group had saved with a ringed hand, blank eyes turning their attention to the trio with unknown intent. The stare she gave them was cold as ice. Noticing this rather awkward silence, Tatsuya was the first to break the proverbial ice with a question.

"Are you this girl's guardian?" he politely inquired and waited for a reply. He felt uncomfortable when he noticed the scarfed girl's eyes suddenly scan his body from head to toe, adjusting her glasses before giving some sort of hand signals to the little girl beside her. Tatsuya recognized it as something mute used to communicate with others, but he couldn't decipher her message as he wasn't fluent in it.

But the little girl easily understood her hand signals and translated it for the three. She seemed nervous at first, but she was braver than they took her for, "T-Thank you for... helping me just now. My name is Tianzi Li-Mei. This is Meer Feuer, my friend," she gestured to the scarf girl, who gave a simple wave with a blank face. Nagisa and Jean could also feel her eyes scanning their bodies, but Jean didn't mind as he found the girl at least somewhat cute, "We're tourists from Germany, and Meer would like you thank you for saving me."

"Ah, it was nothing!" Nagisa chuckled loudly, scratching her neck and then quietly adding under her breath, "I wouldn't mind a reward, though."

This earned her a scolding stare from Tatsuya, who thought she knew better. Meanwhile, Tianzi's face was painted red with embarrassment. She waved her arms and gave a crooked smile, "I-It's only a small gift, we don't mind, since Meer wouldn't mind giving them to you all as thanks. Really."

Meer nodded and the three looked at each other for a while before accepting the offer. It was already getting dark and they had to head back to Miss Tomoe's café after picking up the food they dropped on the ground earlier. They decided to make this quick and efficient, "Eh, why not? A gift is a gift," Jean nonchalantly said, rubbing his chin as he eyed Meer's petite figure. He blushed when Meer caught him in the act and quickly averted his gaze somewhere else.

Approaching them in a silent stride, Meer's hands took out a small deck of cards from her back-pocket. They bore a rather strange design and Tatsuya swore he saw these designs from a book he had on his shelf. A set of 21 cards, which he vaguely remembered as the 'Tarot' deck. Meer shuffled these cards skillfully in her hands and aptly handed them to Nagisa with all the cards facing down. She gave a simple gesture with one hand, asking her to take any one of them at random.

"Alright!" Nagisa chirped, taking the one around the top and raising it up high in the sky. Staring at its bizarre markings with a mouth in the shape of a small 'o', the picture on the card showed an old man with a lantern, the words below him reading as 'The Hermit', "Oh, this looks pretty cool!" she beamed, taking out her wallet to store the card inside it, "Thanks!"

Shuffling the deck again, Meer handed it to this time Jean. He quietly gazed into Meer's aqua eyes before he snapped back to reality and pulled one from the middle. The corners of Jean's mouth moved confusingly as his one had the picture of a knight riding a chariot being pulled by two animals; The words read as 'The Chariot', "I don't really know what is this, but, I guess it looks kinda nice. Come on, Tatsuya, take yours."

Finally, Meer handed the deck to the pink-haired boy, shuffling it once more before getting him to pick his own Tarot card. Tatsuya stared at the cards, then reached for the bottom stack. But when his hand made contact with hers, there was a tiny shimmer of energy and Meer jumped. She recoiled slightly in shock, and stared at the him with wide eyes as the trio looked confused.

"What's wrong, Meer?" Tianzi asked, tugging her shirt.

For a while, Meer was unresponsive, as she stared at her hand and blinked twice. Meer then shook her head and outstretched her arm once more to give Tatsuya his card, gesturing to Tianzi that nothing was wrong, even if it obviously wasn't so. So, reaching again with his right hand, Tatsuya noticed Meer staring at his arm as he slowly drew out his card from the bottom. There was a picture of a woman pouring water into a river under a starlit sky, the card named as 'The Star'.

Putting away her cards, Meer excused herself with a simple gesture of goodbye and grabbed Tianzi's hand to take their leave. Tianzi was perplexed by the aqua-haired girl's sudden action and looked back once more at the group to wave goodbye, "Again, t-thank you for just now," as they abruptly left for someplace else, Tatsuya stared at his card that reflected some of the seeping moonlight growing ever more obvious above. Nagisa then remembered what they were doing and sprinted back for the food they dropped on the floor before heading back to Miss Tomoe's café. Jean and Tatsuya followed her after storing their 'gifts' in their wallets.

As they ran back to where they needed to be with their food, snacks and ingredients in hand, they didn't notice the electric-like energy shimmering around Tatsuya's right hand.

* * *

"Sorry, we're late!" Nagisa shouted as the trio barged through the doors of the café in a hurry, the door chimes alerting their entry. On the way in, Jean tripped on a crack in the floor and fell flat on his face with the other two wincing behind him. After putting down their stuff, Tatsuya helped him up to his feet and dusted his best friend's uniform as Jean groaned from hitting a checkered floor at mach 5.

"Man... haven't felt this kind of pain ever since France," Jean grumbled, rubbing his face with one hand and making sure the rose in his breast pocket was alright.

The way back here was long and they would have gotten lost if they didn't completely lose track of where they were. It was already dinner time and a small fog was slowly thickening outside. Hitting the floor was the least terrible thing that could have happened to Jean, so he didn't complain.

At the bar counter, the three adults were going to ask where they were, but Teacher Miki couldn't help but burst into laughter at Jean's expense. Miss Tomoe gave her a disapproving frown while Kyoko just raised her shoulders in a light shrug, a stick of Pocky in her mouth, "Didn't think you three would get tired from a small trip to the store. Sayaka must be a crap teacher, Sayaka stopped laughing and started glaring childishly at Officer Sakura with eyebrows furrowed and cheeks pouting. The redhead looked as if she was used to the response she received and did it just for the sake of seeing her make such a face, "Just saying," she added with a smirk.

"We had a small detour," Tatsuya explained, sitting down at some of the tables with Jean and Nagisa. Next to him, the white-haired girl took out a packet of cheese from her snack bag and began chewing down on it like a 9 year-old. Since it was her favorite food ever since she was a kid, there were plenty more present inside her plastic bag. On the other side of the table, Jean was checking the ingredients he bought to make dinner for his sister and himself once he reached home.

Putting her cap back on and picking up the sound of a car outside, Officer Sakura flashed a smile and pointed a finger to the window, "Well, it looks like you three came right on time."

The trio looked behind, and in the misty parking space outside, they saw a black &amp; pink car park itself right next to Nagisa's crude bike. The headlights turned off and Tatsuya beamed at the sight of the person who stepped out of the vehicle. The doors opened, and the driver came in, humming a song with her tie loose, a suitcase in her hand and her pink hair all let down. Kaname Madoka greeted them all with her usual happy smile as she walked through the door with a hand on her collar, "Hey, everyone, long time no see!"

"Madoka!" Teacher Miki exclaimed, sprinting at her with arms wide before she embraced the shorter girl in a powerful hug. She fiercely rubbed her cheek against Madoka's, receiving a plea of release from the girl while Officer Sakura stared in utter envy. Miss Tomoe patted her sympathetically on the back, as even it had been a while since Sayaka and Madoka met due to being busy with work, Officer Sakura couldn't help but feel jealous at Teacher Miki's ignorance for personal space when it came to Madoka.

Tatsuya made a deliberately loud cough, shooting a flat stare at his P.E teacher, "Sister Miki, can you please let go of my sister? You're acting like a teenager."

The blonde Frenchman nudged him on the elbow, saying with a flick of a wrist, "Aw, just let the adults have some fun. I'm sure your sister doesn't mind, right?"

"Let me go, Sayaka!" Madoka cried with an innocent voice, trying to break free of her best friend's iron grip. A tint of pink appeared on her cheeks as Sayaka continued to rub them with her own, "Sayaka...!"

Before Officer Sakura could club her housemate good with a police baton, the lights suddenly blacked out and left the entire café in complete darkness. Nagisa was heard shrieking and Tatsuya felt something grab him as the entire block proceeded to lose all of its power. But as the owner of the store and with good knowledge of where everything was, Miss Tomoe calmly headed to the storage room in the darkness with ease to fetch some flashlights and candles. Tatsuya and Jean opened up their cellphones as improvised flashlights, Officer Sakura doing the same.

In the dimness, Tatsuya looked behind him and saw Nagisa clinging onto him like a scared cat. She was shivering, and all Tatsuya did was to try and comfort her with a hesitant pat on the back. Nagisa was always the older, more daring one, but she always had a fear of the dark, "Odd, I thought the power station was already repaired after the accident last week?"

Officer Sakura cussed out some words when she accidentally hit a stool with her knee and filled the silence with filthy words Tatsuya was used to hearing as a kid. Meanwhile, Sayaka went back to her seat and guided Madoka to her own by holding hands. Jean looked out the windows to see if there was anything going on outside, but the gathering fog was making even that difficult.

Miss Tomoe returned with some flashlights and candles, placing some lit candles around the place with Jean and Officer Sakura's help after the latter stopped her cussing; Madoka and Sayaka were having a small chat at the counter over some tea that was still warm and Tatsuya and Nagisa were checking out the fog outside through the windows. To Miss Tomoe, the blackout was not worrying in the least, but the fog was, as it grew thicker and thicker to a point it was bizarre. Fogs like these never happened at this time of the year.

"Something wrong, Mami?" Officer Sakura rubbed her knee, noticing the café owner narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the door.

"Sakura," she sternly said, feeling a menacing aura from the fog, "Keep your guard up."

Suddenly, the double-doors slowly creaked open by themselves, and the echo of footsteps drew everyone's attention to the door as the fog began seeping into the café. Tatsuya took a step towards them to close the doors, but the echoing footsteps became ever more prominent, making him back away slowly after feeling his hand beginning to shake. The footsteps were slow, drawn-out, and each gave him a bad feeling about what was approaching them. A chill ran down Nagisa's spine, as she held onto his uniform by the cuffs while Teacher Miki sensed a presence she had not felt for a long time. Miss Tomoe heard a large amount of static from her antique radio and quickly turned it off, Officer Sakura's hand instinctively nearing her pistol holster.

A silhouette then took shape in the fog, before the slender shape of a tall woman stood at the doors of the café. Wearing a strap-less, purple dress with amethyst earrings which jangled in the quiet, her face framed by shadow and fog, her silky, raven hair flowed with the wind as her transparent, alabaster skin reflected the moonlight and her sensuality making even the most beautiful woman pale in comparison. When she opened her mouth, her voice sounded almost similar to a siren, a soothing layer covering the ominous tone of her voice.

"I would like to ask for your services, if I may, Tomoe Mami. Would you be so kind to do so?"

Tatsuya, Jean and Nagisa did not know who this mysterious person was, but their guardians definitely did. Miss Tomoe, Officer Sakura and Teacher Miki, along with Madoka, knew this woman from their middle-school years. Having not seen her for nearly a decade with the exception of random encounters and a few meetings, they knew nothing much about her except for her name was Akemi Homura. Although a distant, ominous girl, Miss Tomoe calmly answered the woman's question like the mature woman she was.

"I'm sorry, but we are closed for the meantime," she said with a hint of coldness, gesturing the candles set around her café, "As you can see, we're in no condition to take orders, and most my workers have already left. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"No. I was not planning on dining here," Homura replied with an indifferent tone, a finger touching her chin as Madoka felt like she was being undressed by unseen eyes. Homura smirked ever so slightly and made Teacher Miki's blood run cold, strangely asking, "If I may, have any of you seen a group of rather... 'suspicious' girls in this town? I would be most thankful if you were to tell me about them."

For some reason, hearing that made Tatsuya think of those two girls he met earlier in the alley. But due to Homura's ominous aura, and her unknown reasons for seeking such girls, he chose not to speak. Tatsuya then felt her shadowed eyes turn to him, as if she had read his mind the moment he thought about Meer and Tianzi. A drop of sweat trailing down his cheek, Nagisa tugged onto his uniform as they and Jean felt the mysterious woman look at them. They didn't need to see her eyes, they could already _feel_ them.

Teacher Miki clearly saw the growing panic on their faces and aggressively answered Homura's question without thinking of any reason for why she would inquire such a thing, "Back off, would you? We haven't seen any of these 'weird' girls around. If we did, we'd tell the police first," for a moment, she saw amethyst eyes venomously glare at her and Teacher Miki's body flinched. She was about to continue, but Homura stopped her questions there.

"Hmph... I see... I shall take my leave then," she calmly spoke, spinning around with her flick of her hair. She looked back to Tatsuya and Madoka for a moment, smiling devilishly once more, before heading back outside and seemingly merging with the fog. Her silhouette promptly disappeared, along with the atmosphere that made the hair on their necks stand. As a matter of fact, suddenly the lights came back on and every building outside the café had their power restored in an instant. The antique radio near Miss Tomoe continued to play out some soft violin music when she turned it back on.

It was as if her very presence caused the blackout and the fog.

"Who... Who the _Hell_ was that?" Jean asked, feeling like a bunch of weights had been lifted off his shoulders.

Teacher Miki answered his question with a tone that implied something happened between her and Homura. It felt lifeless compared to her usual tone, as she held Officer Sakura's hand and squeezed it tight, "That - was Akemi Homura; she was a classmate of Madoka, Kyouko and I. We never really got to know here that much over the years... but, sometimes, I feel like she's a friend of ours, and at times... I wouldn't even want to stay within 10 feet of her."

Officer Sakura agreed with her, adjusting her cap by the bill, "That girl always look like she's up to something."

As the fog faded away with Homura's presence, Tatsuya took out the card he received from that girl, Meer Feuer, wondering just who she was and if she was one of the girls that woman was asking for. Nagisa clapped him on the shoulder and he turned around to see her face that basically asked if he was alright. Tatsuya gave a smile in return to calm her worries, pocketing away the Tarot card as in the back of his mind, he felt curious about that Meer Feuer girl.

* * *

After that encounter with Akemi Homura, the group proceeded to head back to their homes, tired from a long, stressful day. Jean went back to his house where he lived with his sister, having driven back there by Madoka and Tatsuya since he lived nearby. Teacher Miki and Officer Sakura drove back to their apartment within the city, and Miss Tomoe returned to her own apartment. As punishment for speeding earlier in the morning, Nagisa had been sent to Tatsuya's house with a 1-day ban from Mami's apartment. It was simple practice that was held whenever Nagisa got in trouble.

As the hands on Tatsuya's wall clock hit midnight, Tatsuya sat on his rocking chair, reading a book about Tarot cards under a lamp with a pair of reading glasses. Nagisa slept on his bed, draped in thick blankets as she hugged a big pillow with her mouth gaping open. Her ring sitting next to Tatsuya's stopwatch on a drawer, Tatsuya flipped the pages of his book as he continued his research on the famous Tarot cards.

From what he could find, the Tarot was a pack of playing cards used from mid-15th century to play card games. By the 18th century, they were founded to be used by mystics as a map of mental and spiritual pathways. There are numerous sets, but the one Tatsuya received came from the 'Major Arcana', the most popular set. 'The Star', which Tatsuya received, frequently symbolized things such as calmness, hope, optimism and good will. Nagisa's one, 'The Hermit', symbolized guidance, inner search, solitude and introspection. And as for Jean's 'Chariot', it symbolized impulsiveness, bravery, victory and honor. All in all, they were cards that were used to represent a person's personality.

A sore headache suddenly came to Tatsuya and he gripped his forehead in annoyance. Letting out a low growl, he closed his book, settled it on a desk and dragged himself to his bathroom sink. Tatsuya opened the tap and rinsed his face in fresh water after taking off his reading glasses.

Closing it, he gripped the sides of his sink and sighed.

This was the 13th night where he had felt like this. A splitting headache that comes out of nowhere for unknown reasons and disappears by time. It was like how he fell sick for an entire year once. Ever since then, he would have these kind of nights. No doctor could give him a good cure for this and the effects would come and go, but this was already beginning to tire him out.

_"Meer Feuer... Akemi Homura..."_

Reaching for a few sleeping tablets near his toothbrush, a flash of pink appeared in his mind. His arm right arm froze in place, and Tatsuya felt that he was not alone. But he was not scared. No. Tatsuya felt the presence of someone he knew.

Looking up at his mirror, Tatsuya's eyes widened with shock.

His reflection was replaced with a tall, young woman with pink hair that reached the floor. Her amber eyes glowed like pure gold and her flowing dress was as white as winter snow. A black, worn-out choker restrained her by the neck and the smile the woman had was warm, yet, heartbreaking to see. Tatsuya didn't know who she was or if she was real, but his conscious seemingly did, as he felt the presence of a physical god in front of him. Her face looked so familiar, yet, so different.

"Are you...?"

The woman raised a hand covered in a long, white glove, and Tatsuya unknowingly reflected the action with his right hand. Their hands met on the mirror's surface and when they touched, he felt a warm sensation. It felt so familiar as Tatsuya's eyes locked with the woman's, unable to move his gaze away as energy shimmered around his right arm like electricity. Suddenly, a flash of light blinded him and Tatsuya retracted his hand to rub his eyes. When Tatsuya reopened them, the woman was gone, and all that implied as he stared back at his reflection in confusion for minutes.

Tatsuya stood still with shock until he turned around to the noise of some footsteps and saw Nagisa standing at the bathroom doorway, yawning as her hair was a complete mess, "What's going on? I thought heard something just now," she said, rubbing one eye with a hand that was covered by the long sleeves of her shirt.

Still bewildered, Tatsuya approached Nagisa and grabbed her by the shoulders, looking back at the mirror just in case, "Just... go back to sleep. It's already late. We don't want to lose some sleep now, do we?" he smiled and the white-haired girl diligently nodded. As Tatsuya quickly tucked her back into his bed and pulled out a futon from underneath to sleep on, his thoughts remained fixated on the woman he saw in the mirror.

He lied his head on his pillow, eyes staring at the ceiling as only one word came to mind to who he thought that was.

_"Sister?"_


	6. Chapter 5: The Maidens of Battle I

The next morning, Tatsuya woke up to see Nagisa snoring loudly on top of him, drool leaking from her mouth as he could only mutter, "Good grief". Waking her up before his sister could see them like this, Nagisa quickly packed her things and drove back to Mami's apartment first thing in the morning after thanking them for letting her sleepover again. She acted like nothing had happened, but that, and a combination of last night's bizarre events, gave Tatsuya a sore headache that he didn't need at the moment.

After some breakfast, Tatsuya was sent to school by Madoka's car this time to prevent another speeding incident. Her way back to the apartment might have caused one already, though. But now safely arrived in school, Tatsuya proceeded with his usual routine of Teacher Miki and Teacher Saotome's hellish lessons on his mind and body. Break time soon came and today, the club's were beginning to give out enlistment forms, so Jean had headed for the Fencing club while Tatsuya went for the Archery club like they said yesterday.

Sliding the door open, the clubroom was as big as Tatsuya remembered, having floorboards covered by traditional straw mat, good air-conditioning, a lunch table and some files scattered on work tables due to minor student incompetence. Practice was always done out in the school backyard, and since it was only time to enlist, nobody was present to greet Tatsuya. The place was like a ghost town, or a ghost room.

"Did I come too early?" he wondered to himself, stepping into the nostalgic atmosphere of the room. There was a bow and quiver on a nearby rack and a targeting board on the wall that had multiple marks on it. Brushing his hand on its coarse surface, Tatsuya looked around the clubroom as the window binders shut out the sunlight from outside, "Hello?" he said out loud and jumped when a student sprung up from her nap on the floor behind a table. Tatsuya knew her as one of the older members of the club, "W-What were you doing doing down there, Hibiki?"

A freckled girl with a weird case of having different eye colors, Hibiki yawned and leap to her feet in an instant, dusting the files off her messy, dyed hair, "Oh, I was just taking a small nap. Didn't really expect anyone to show at this kind of time, so I thought some shut-eye wouldn't hurt," she burped, bringing a closed hand to her mouth, "I'm not surprised it's you who came so early."

"Just how long have you-? Wait, forget I asked," Tatsuya rubbed his forehead with two fingers and sighed, "I'm just here to sign up for club. Where's the Club President, Takasaki, was it? I remember that I needed to talk to him for this."

Hibiki nonchalantly picked her nose, which irked Tatsuya to no end, "Oh, Takasaki? He kinda went out with his girlfriend for some lunch. I think her name was Sakurai, or something? He'll be back in half an hour or something," she ignored the disappointed sigh from Tatsuya and shrugged, "Well, you can just sign up for now. Here," she handed him an enlistment form with a stain of Cola on it. She had no problems while Tatsuya was probably holding back a complaint, "Just sign this, take that bow over there and show me what you got!"

Hesitantly, Tatsuya took out a pen and filled in the form, giving it to her and taking up the bow from the rack. The grip was rather good and the bow had a sturdy feel to it, "Are you sure I'm supposed to do this? I don't remember doing this last year."

"Whatev's. That was last year," Hibiki lazily lied back on a chair, "I just wanna see if you still got what it takes to be a part of our team," Tatsuya knew she was just making some stuff up just to kill her boredom, but he just went along with it anyway.

"Good grief," Tatsuya muttered under his breath, raising the bow and taking out an arrow from the quiver. Aiming at the damaged-looking targeting board in the wall, he pulled back the string with the arrow and took aim. With narrowed eyes, he let go, the arrow launching through the air before it stabbed straight into the center. Tatsuya smirked at his perfect shot, "Guess I still got it."

"Bullseye!" Hibiki exclaimed, slapping him hard on the back with too much force, "Now, try and get another one!"

Not wanting to waste anymore time doing this needless mini-game, Tatsuya took out one more arrow, pulled back the string again and shot another arrow. This time it dove straight again into the center and split apart the previously-shot arrow. With the first one peeled in two and the second wedged into the first, Hibiki's jaw unhinged as Tatsuya placed the bow back on the rack and rolled his shoulders.

"Call me when Takasaki wants to see me. I need to meet with a friend for lunch," Tatsuya calmly requested, bowing before leaving the club room. Closing the door quietly, his phone rang and Tatsuya took it out of his pocket to answer a call from his sister, "Oh, sister?" he spoke on the way back to class, "Well, Takasaki wasn't there when I came, but I did give in my form. Wait, I think someone else is calling me."

Tatsuya switched the line on his phone through a simple touch on the holographic interface and pressed it to his ear again, "Tatsuya?" Miss Tomoe's voice was heard over the line, sounding worried.

"Is there something wrong, Sister Tomoe?"

"If you do not mind, I need to you to do a favor for me, Tatsuya. When Nagi got back this morning, she got a small cold from driving in the weather outside-" a loud sneeze was heard in the background, along with some coughing and whining for hot soup, "-so I want you to do her deliveries for me, please. You're already old enough to handle the bike, aren't you?"

Tatsuya nodded, forgetting he was on the phone, "Of course, Sister Tomoe. I'm sure you're already busy with Nagi. I'll tell Jean about this, too."

"Thank you. I'll have the bike sent to the café after school."

The call ended and Tatsuya went to switch back to his sister's call. Then, something dropped from his pocket and Tatsuya bent down to pick up the Tarot card he received last night. Looking at it, he thought of Meer Feuer, Akemi Homura and shrugged them off to the back of his mind. Calmly telling himself that he had no business with them, Tatsuya went back to class while he continued talking with his sister.

* * *

As the afternoon sun shone in a sky of mixing white and blue above Mitakihara, a street extending out of the main city and residential areas lead to a small, secluded suburb where only the richest could afford to live. Giant mansion estates owned by the wealthiest of Mitakihara, one was owned by a Maiden of Battle who served under Selena Bismarck herself. Set up as a gathering point and their base of command in this city, this future battleground, it was a convenient place to rest and prepare for days as they had spent a full week setting up everything.

In the regimental barracks, Meer Feuer awoke from her deep sleep to someone tapping her shoulder. Getting up and putting her specs on, she turned around on her bed to face a fellow Maiden: Regina Ghiaccio. A sister-like figure to most Maidens and Meer herself, she was of Italian descent to Meer's German. She was wearing the kind of outfit one would see in bizarre fashion magazines, as Meer could barely begin to describe it with the exception of its weird asymmetry, leather and multiple belts.

Still tired from last night's patrol, Meer rubbed her eyes and gestured the words with her definite stoic face, "What is it, Regina?"

"Wake up already, sleepyhead!" Regina exclaimed, pinching Meer's cheeks and patting her on the shoulder, to no reaction from the girl, "It's time for lunch! I made my special tomato &amp; cheese again and this time it didn't create an explosion! I think."

The bespectacled girl's face momentarily lit at the mention of food and Meer slowly slid off her bed to stand on a carpeted floor in a blue nightgown. The entire room which spanned and stood to 20 meters was filled with bunk beds of varying cleanliness and they were all empty as most of the Maidens had already gone off for patrols, practice, meditation or food, "How long was I sleeping?" Meer signaled, putting on a small robe similar to a Nun's and her blue scarf to cover her neck scars. She had just arrived here last night, so her suitcase was still full.

"It's 12 o'clock already. Most of the girls went off to the mess hall for some grub," Regina flexed an arm and smiled, "Want a tour of the place? You looked really tired when you got back with Tianzi last night. Did you see anything interesting?"

Meer remembered the meeting with that boy last night and curled up the fingers that felt that warm energy which came from his hand. She never got his name, but that boy definitely was not normal in the slightest or was aware of what he had. The energy was also unfamiliar, but it definitely was something that felt powerful. Puffing, Meer replied to Regina's question with a shake of her head and her offer with a nod.

"Alright! Let's get going!" Regina suddenly wrapped an arm around Meer's neck and dragged off the half-asleep girl to the door which she then kicked open and closed with just as much force. If Meer could voice out a complaint, she would have done it in the very first second.

The Maidens of Battle's mansion was enormous as Regina was loud as she talked and greeted every Maiden that scurried past the loud and silent duo in the large corridor. With most of the Maidens already here, they made an effort to keep the place clean, standing, and most of all, safe. The place was around the same size or maybe a bit bigger than their base in Germany, and was just as heavily guarded with sniper patrols monitoring from the rooftops in camouflage. Large windows letting in the sunlight, Meer could see Maidens moving around both inside and outside the mansion.

In her head, Meer had to admit that it was amazing for an army of young girls and women to become a fighting force dedicated to defeating a Devil that they could only see in their dreams. Lead by Selena Bismarck and her high-ranking Maidens, Meer never imagined that she'd be part of such a faction that started as a small cult of orphans who had nothing to lose. As they slowly grew, Meer could still remember the time when she was recruited by Selena herself. She could not remember anything before that, thanks to the accident that gave Meer her neck scars.

The first place Regina dragged Meer to was the weapon barracks, where Maidens practiced their aim and blades or other shapes of fighting in a large dome-shaped room. Duels and sparring was common, along with the use of magic, and when they entered the the room, a large fireball accidentally struck the viewing glass beside the main entrance, melting it into liquid. Regina didn't notice that when they entered, but Meer quickly avoided walking near it as she could feel the immense heat from just being near it.

As Regina explained on the way in, the instructor in charge of the area was a tall girl named Madeline Taylor. She monitored all the Maidens making their way through all the exercises she threw at them such as rings of fire, automatic sentry guns and various traps that could be sprung by just being near it. Madeline was giving her best attempts at cheering them on before Regina and Meer approached her. The training instructor greeted the Italian Maiden with a handshake and the Meer with a nod, "Came to see the recruits?"

"Nah, I was just showing Meer here how the place is. It's definitely much more comfy than that icy Hell back at Germany, right, Meer?" she looked at her friend, who gave a disappointing gesture of disagreement with her hands, "Aw, come on! I was freezing my butt off 24/7 back there!"

Madeline stifled a laugh with a hand, "Well, if you're not doing anything, I suggest you head to the meditation rooms. Margaret needs some help with setting up the place and most of the Maidens already have their hands full."

"Gotcha!" Regina wrapped her arm around Meer again, who expected that already, "Come on, Meer! Let's go help Little Marge. See ya, Madeline!"

As Meer was dragged away to the door, Madeline waved them off before continuing to spectate her trainees.

The next place they went to was a much nicer and quieter place to be in: The meditation rooms, where Maidens were being taught by their superiors in the proper usage of their offensive and defensive magic, it was a wide room where groups of students sat to pray while some seniors were putting up tools and teaching materials. Meer loved the peaceful atmosphere of it and entered the room with a mouth open in awe, but Regina found it boring and quickly tried to find Margaret as Meer brushed her hands along the rows of books on the shelves.

Meer halted in her steps, putting a hand on her stomach as it growled. Regina seemed to hear it with her sharp ears and turned back to her, saying, "You can head to the mess hall if you want to. I guess I'll meet you there once I'm done. Try not to get lost on the way, alright?"

Nodding, Meer turned around and opened the door to head back into the hallway. Before she left, she looked back and saw Regina meeting with Margaret, one of the magic instructors of the Maidens. Feeling her stomach growling again, Meer entered the corridor and looked both ways before heading to find the mess hall.

* * *

The mess hall was a room larger than most of the ones Meer had already seen, with most of them she had accidentally entered when she got lost on the way here and had to be redirected by the other busy Maidens. The stomach-growling, mouth-drooling smell of food was in the air and Meer wasted no time getting in line with a tray which, after 10 minutes of food picking from the buffet set for them, was piled up with a mixture of all sorts of dishes. From Italian, to Chinese, Russian, Germany and Middle Eastern, Meer sat at an empty table among other filled ones.

The place, like the other rooms, were being decorated with monuments and shrines that honored the religious figure they knew. One stone statue of this figure stood beside Meer, a statue of a woman with long-flowing hair and a lengthy, multi-tailed dress of snow white as she wielded a long bow triumphantly in the air. Being the imprisoned Goddess all the Maidens had seen in their dreams before joining this faction, no one knew who she truly was except that she called for them to help her.

Meer clasped her hands in a prayer to this goddess before she stuffed herself in the delicious meal as Maidens sitting at the other tables chatted and bantered with each other. Young and old, it was the most lively room she had seen so far in this place. Meer would have continued stuffing herself with food if her ears didn't pick up the conversation coming from the table of recruits behind her.

"Hey, how come someone like Selena gets to lead us? She's only 19, for God's sake. Aren't there a lot of better candidates for Canoness?"

"There are. I think Selena only got to be leader because she started this whole thing," there was a laugh, "Man, what'd I do to be leader. Selena's one of the most youngest members and she _still _gets to be leader? Get out of here!"

Meer's grip on her fork and knife tightened as she swallowed a mouthful of food and frowned. Setting them down and wiping her mouth with a tissue, she stood up and was about to give them a lecture for what they were talking about, when suddenly, she heard another, deep voice interject in this gossip. This voice sounded strict and had a sense of pride and discipline to it, as Meer turned around to see the Maiden that had already begun doing the scolding.

The girl was the owner of the mansion herself: Jade Hui-Lang. A girl with red hair cut into a bob-cut and earrings styled in the shape of cherries, she gave the girls behind Meer an lengthy earful as she flicked her wrist, "I suggest you keep those thoughts to yourselves if you two want to continue sleeping with a roof over your head, you neophytes. If you two have something to say, I highly suggest you speak to **me**. Otherwise, I'd see to it that what you two just said be sent to the Canoness herself as a report. Am I clear?"

The two Maidens behind Meer recoiled in fear as Jade stared them down, answering in unison as they shuddered, "Yes, Ma'am! W-We're sorry!"

Jade flicked her hair, her cherry earrings jangling as she gave them another cold stare, "Good. Carry on," walking away from them, she noticed Meer behind them and the frown on her face did not wither, "Meer Feuer," Jade greeted her with a respectful Chinese bow, "I see to it that your stay has been most comfortable?"

Meer nodded, looking away from Jade as she felt a sudden intensity in the air. Jade and her were never all that friendly back in Germany, mainly since they never could hold a proper conversation for at least three to five minutes. The silence between would have continued if Regina didn't suddenly burst into the room, complaining loudly about something and seeing the pair giving each other the cold shoulder, "Hey, you two, enjoying the food?!" she hollered, coming between them to wrap her arms around their necks.

Jade wasn't so comfortable with such skin-ship, as her face turned red as the earrings she wore, "R-Regina, I have told you so many times that I don't like being touched-!"

"Aw, just deal with it. It's not like I'm trying to kill you or anything," Regina laughed, looking at the two with a smile, "So, you two still going at it, or you two finally thinking of getting friendly?"

Arms no longer around her neck, Jade loosened the collar of her clothing and replied with a frown, "I prefer that we not talk about that. Now, if you two shall excuse me, I have work to do," she clasped her hands and bowed, leaving them with just that as she shuffled through the tables in the mess hall. Leaving the pair alone, Meer calmly sat back down and continued eating.

"Man, does she need to let loose sometimes," Regina complained as she sat beside Meer and sighed.

* * *

In the war room that was situated in the most secure room of the mansion, the double-doors were guarded by Maidens that were handpicked by Selena herself to be her personal vanguard. Maidens around the room hurried past over thick cables leading to computers, stacks of files in their arms as they worked the best they could to keep the entire faction intact and working as a mobile unit. In the middle of the room was a huge square table, displaying a holographic 2D map of Mitakihara city and a smaller one of the world.

Selena, wearing her armored dress, stood with hands folded behind her back as she discussed with the high-ranking Maidens of the faction: Trish Enigma, the Maiden second only to Selena, was a strict and disciplined girl who was eating a sorbet in her hand as they went on with their talks. Beside her was Jasmine Wanita, a dark-skinned girl who was silent as she wise, and beside her, Merry Clover, who sat back in her chair as she had her feet on the square table. Selena ignored her rude behavior as it was common and continued her discussion.

"Alright, it has been a week since we arrived here and still only 2/3 of our forces have arrived from Germany," Selena pointed her finger to the secondary map of the world and clicked it, making a display of the weather that was currently happening around Germany, "Since a massive snowstorm has been growing there, all flights had been cancelled and Jasmine's seers say that this weather will not die down soon. Correct, Jasmine?"

The dark-skinned girl nodded, speaking in a wise, sage-like tone, "This weather's uprising is not natural, Canoness, as my seers predict that this may be the work of the Devil. She may be slowly closing in on our location and they say that this curtain of stealth we have been hiding in for years may soon be torn away from us."

Closing the display of the world and pointing her finger to the map of Mitakihara, Selena continued, "Indeed. Jasmine's seers have been giving me these reports since we got here and it's been giving be a bad feeling about this. Since I do not want to risk us losing the opportunity of a surprise attack, I have a proposal that I've gathered you all here for," the Mitakihara map zoomed in on an area around the outskirts of town, secluded from the city with it only being near a few newly-built residential houses, "We lure the Devil here and strike. Using the Ripple Vials Nibey had supplied us, we can temporarily weaken her long enough for us to eliminate her."

As Trish and Jamine listened, Merry was the only one to complain, "Hey, hey, now. You're expecting us to win when we only have around half of our freakin' army here?!" she spat out the toothpick in her mouth, "You trying to get us killed or something?"

"Clover!" Trish scolded her with a wave of a small whip she had, lashing the air with a loud crack, "With the Ripple Vials, we have a chance of winning. Even with most of our Regiments at least half their strength, we can surely kill the Devil. The Ripple Vials are that dependable, are they not, Canoness?"

Selena cleared her throat, ignoring Merry's sudden outburst, "Yes. From what Nibey says, we can use them to momentarily weaken the Devil's powers significantly. While she is weakened, we have the chance of ending her as a mortal. That is all I have to say. Now that you all know what I have in mind, which one of you do I have in agreement?"

Trish and Jasmine were the only ones who raised their hands, as Merry stubbornly folded her arms and looked away. Selena expected this and frowned at the girl's behavior, "Good. We make our move tonight. Since Merry here is too hesitant about this, Jasmine, Trish and I shall lead the assault while she stays back with some of our forces as a reserve unit. Is that fine with you, Merry?"

The American Maiden got off her chair which fell to the floor, pocketing her hands as she made her way out of the room, "Whatever you say, Bismarck. It's not like I can do anything about it," she spat, "Just try not to get us killed."

Trish was going to scold her again, but Selena raised a hand to stop her, watching the Maiden leave the room and slam the door closed. Feeling like something had been lifted off her shoulders, Selena sat on a chair and put a hand to her forehead. Jasmine patted her on the shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile, saying, "It's alright. I'm sure she'll follow her orders, Canoness."

"That girl's been getting on my nerves lately," Trish growled, curling up and holstering her whip on her belt, "Can't she learn just a bit of respect for once?"

Getting off her seat, Selena switched off the holographic display of the map, looking out of the window and leaning on the wall, "You two may head back," she said, "We have a lot to prepare for tonight. Tell the Maidens that it is time, The two bowed at the order and left the room respectfully, as Selena continued looking out into the distance where the city of Mitakihara was.

A bird flying in and perching on one of her fingers, she wondered just how can such a peaceful-looking city harbor the devil of the universe? _It was time to fight_, she thought. Many of her Maidens were going to die tonight for sure, and after all these years, she can finally finish the duty that had been put on her shoulders the moment she formed an alliance with Nibey. The bird on her finger flying off, Selena spoke to her officers to take care of business before she headed back to her quarters. She felt like she needed to talk to someone.

* * *

Back in the barracks, Meer lied down on her bed as she shuffled the deck of Tarot cards she had in her hands. Her hair spread about on her pillow, she eyed each one in her hand as she thought about that boy last night. The Tarot card she gave him, The Star, was it simply out out of blind luck did he get that card, or did it foretell something greater that was about to happen to him? As her favorite hobby of fortune telling back in Germany, this was a big deal to her. Meer's thoughts were interrupted as the window near her bed popped opened.

Nibey leapt onto the windowsill, wearing the scarf around his neck that Meer had given to him a few years ago while carrying a satchel in his mouth, "Oh, looks like I came in the wrong window," he said to himself, hopping down on the floor and seeing that he was in the barracks. Putting down the sack on the floor to scratch its ears with his foot, he looked back and saw Meer looking at him, "Oh, hey Meer. You know where's Selena? I got something good to deliver her," he said with an almost devious tone.

Curious, Meer got off her bed and crouched down near the Incubator. She held up the satchel and it felt its heavy weight in her hand, "What's this?" she signaled with a hint of curiosity.

"Oh, this? It's a new weapon I've been making," Nibey proudly said and Meer nonchalantly emptied the sack, turning it upside down to let its contents fall to the floor, "Hey careful! This wasn't easy to make!"

Falling to the floor with a low thud, was a gauntlet that caught Meer's attention quickly. With sharp fingertips that could stab a man's eye out, it was silver in color and had pink beads engraved into the hard magical alloy it was likely made out of. On the back of the palm was a large metal orb as light from the window reflected off the gauntlet. Meer scratched her head, asking with a tilt of her head and a gesture, "What is this?"

"The Hand!" Nibey boasted, his scarred tail flickering, "It's a weapon I want to show to Selena since we've been developing this thing for months now. Now, I need you to-"

When Meer tried to grab the gauntlet to put it back in its sack, the same energy Meer had felt last night from that boy suddenly flowed out of her fingertips and surged into The Hand. Having most likely been a leftover from the hand contact Meer had, it caused a spark as The Hand started up with a high-pitched whine, the orb on it shining with a blinding light and it's sharp finger tips wriggling violently.

Both Nibey and Meer had hopped behind the nearest bunk bed to avoid anything that could happen, the blue-haired girl ducking behind the bed with the Incubator in her arms. The whining went on for minutes and then died down slowly. Poking her head out of cover and letting go of Nibey, he slowly walked up to the gauntlet and placed a paw on its surface. It was mildly hot to the touch and smoke poured from the orb built into it, "... What did you just do?" he whispered.


	7. Chapter 6: The Maidens of Battle II

Smoke slithered out of the windows of the barracks as Meer opened them up and fanned more of the smoke out, Nibey staring at her back as his held back his paw from the hot, smoking gauntlet in front of him. When Meer had opened up the last of the windows, she noticed Nibey's beady-red eyes looking at her and remained quiet still. She did not know how to answer on what had she just done to activate Nibey's mysterious, new weapon, but she knew he had felt the energy of the boy from last night flowing out of her fingertips when she had touched the weapon.

She shook her head and Nibey tilted his head, "You don't know? I've been trying to get this thing to work for Pete's sake!" he touched the gauntlet again and felt that The Hand had already cooled down from just now. The empty, sharp fingertips of The Hand faintly wiggling, Nibey sighed and fetched the satchel he had used to bring this weapon here so he could put it back in. Meer helped, as the small white creature noticeably struggled with the lack of opposable thumbs. Picking up the heavy piece of equipment, Meer stuffed the thing back into its satchel, The Hand not reacting to her touch this time. Odd, she thought, but this was proof that it was not her doing that caused the weapon's violent reaction just now. Nibey watched her tighten the satchel as he said, "Fine, if you can't tell me on what the heck just happened and why, then at least help me bring this to Selena or at least Trish. I need to show this to them."

Meer nodded diligently and picked up the satchel as Nibey hopped onto her shoulder, adjusting his scarf as his scarred tail wagged through the air. They opened the door to exit the barracks and saw Regina standing in the hallway as she was just about to get in. She smiled at both of them, laughing, "Hey there, Nibey. We've been wondering when you were going to come here."

"I've been a little busy with my work," Nibey casually replied in a tone he always used when not in the presence of Selena, "I got something to pass your superiors, so you mind showing me to Selena?"

"Oh, no-can-do there, buddy," Regina waved a finger and clapped Meer on the shoulder, "Selena wants to see Meer over here. I thought I would find her here. So you're gonna have to talk to Trish instead," she turned her view to her mute friend, "Anyway, Meer, the big boss wants to see you. How about I literally take Nibey off your shoulders and bring him to Trish while you go see her?"

Nodding, Meer handed the satchel over to Regina and Nibey smoothly hopped off from Meer's shoulder to Regina's. Regina clapped the blue-haired girl on the shoulder again and gestured to head off to Selena's quarters right before she scurried off with Nibey into the hallway filled with Maidens. They disappeared into the crowd, and Meer couldn't help but again think of that boy she had met last night.

Meer was about to leave, but she stopped when she almost forgot to retrieve her Tarot cards from her bed before she left. Meer ran to her bed to fetch them and pocketed the deck in her nun-like outfit, making sure they were safe as she exited the barracks. Knowing at least that Selena's quarters were found in the upper floors of the mansion, Meer headed to a flight of stairs she spotted down the hallway, hoping to find at least one of Selena's bodyguards for directions to her room.

* * *

Despite her protest on sleeping in the barracks with the other Maidens, Selena slept in the master bedroom of the giant mansion. She had originally intended to turn this room into another place for her Maidens to use for other more practical reasons, but Trish and Jasmine advised her to have her own room to herself so she could rest easier. The room was mostly empty of furniture, a large queen-sized bed surrounded by files and plans as there was a small table and chair in the corner of her room. The curtains of the large windows were shut, but the light from the outside seeped through the small openings of the curtains.

Selena lied down on her bed, looking up at the chandelier hanging on the ceiling as she tried to rest from pulling after pulling an all-nighter. The bag underneath her eyes growing bigger each day, Selena didn't have the energy to sit up or go for a stroll around the busy mansion.

She materialized her Soul Gem into her hand and lifted it above her face. She still remembered the day she had met Nibey, the Incubator who had broken off from the Hive Mive-mentality of his race with a few others and the one that had helped get her this far. How many years had already passed ever since the time when the Maidens of Battles were just a cult of orphans who dreamed of a deity calling to them for help? Since the time Nibey found her dying alone in an alley? Now here she was, leading a force of Puella Magi and trying to kill a Devil she had never seen before all because this was the only purpose she had and ever found in life.

But the time she had heard first heard the voice of their bow-wielding, forgotten savior of the dreams was still fresh in her mind. A calm, soothing voice that called for help in their dreams. These dreams were the only proof they had of her existence.

There was a knock on the door and Selena heard one of her bodyguards outside, "Canoness Selena. Priestess Meer Feuer has arrived."

Selena sat up, her nightgown all messy and wrinkled, "Send her in," she ordered, fixing the strap of her nightgown.

The door opened and Meer walked in, bowing in respect to the leader of the Maidens of Battle. Selena gestured her to take a seat, but Meer signaled that she was okay with simply standing. Meer stood straight and signaled again, this time asking, "Is there something you need from me, Canoness Selena?"

Her sign language was a bit rusty, as not many of her Maidens had hearing or voice impairments and Meer had not arrived from Germany until now, but she managed to understand the mute Maiden, "I... wanted to speak with you for a bit. I wanted to talk about something," Selena said, sounding almost vulnerable as Meer tilted her head to the side. Her tone was different from the one she always had in the presence of other Maidens, and it was rare of her to speak so casually, "You don't mind if I ramble on a bit, do you?"

Meer shook her head and sat down on the floor, folding her legs as she was ready to hear anything her leader had to say. This wasn't the first time Meer had done something like this, as when the Maiden leader found herself stressful at times, she would have a small chat with Meer to calm herself down and express some of her thoughts. This was encouraged greatly by her second-in-command, Trish.

Selena fell back onto her comfy pillow and sighed, playing with the strands of her long hair that she had yet to braid while Meer waited, "You know, after all this time of being the 'Canoness' of the Maidens of Battle, I'll have to admit... I've been getting tired. Building up this faction from the ground up, gathering resources and recruits, keeping this proud facade and aura of a 'brave leader', all while avoiding the view of the Devil... It has got me thinking. Thinking about stuff that will happen if- I mean... When we accomplish our mission. So, I think, after we have accomplished our duty, I think I'll be taking my leave from here, and I want you to lead the Maidens, Meer."

Meer's aqua eyes widened in surprise, pointing a finger at herself and signing, "Why me?"

"Because I have faith in you, Meer. You're one of the few I can trust to be a respectful, yet, caring commander to guide the Maidens of Battle into becoming a peaceful society once we have finished the objective we all have worked hard to accomplish. Trish and Jasmine also concur that you are one of my suitable successors and they will gladly serve under you," Selena lied on one side, still looking at Meer as she hugged her pillow tightly, "It's going to be hard, but I need you to help rebuild the lives of every girl who had thrown away everything in their lives to become a Maiden of Battle and help our cause. Are you willing to do that?"

Meer looked down on the floor, her hands still in the air as she tried to form a suitable reply. Finally, her contemplating look lightened and the mute girl signed her thoughts on this matter, "I will gladly help if I can, Canoness. Thank you for this offer."

"No. I should be thanking you. You've done a lot to help me get here," Selena then got up from her bed and stretched her arms and legs. She opened up the curtains to let the sun in and looked out the window to see the city of Mitakihara in the distance, "I am telling you all of this now, because tonight is the night we will be making our move. So now not only am I assigning you to a reserve unit with Merry Clover to keep an eye on her, but in the case that Trish, Jasmine or I fall, you will be at least alive to lead the remaining Maidens."

She heard the Puella Magi getting up and walking up to her. Turning around, she saw that Meer had outstretched her arm and in her hand, she was offering Selena her precious Tarot Card Deck. She gestured with her other hand, "For good luck."

Selena smiled and took the deck into her hands, "Thank you."

* * *

In the corridors of the mansion, Merry Clover walked with her hands in her pockets and a scowl on her face. After hearing Selena's plans for tonight, her mood had turned sour as the girl wasn't eager to die tonight with only half her forces in the city right now. It made the girl paranoid. Merry only fought if she knew she was going to win, so the possibility of dying tonight did not appease her. She joined the Maidens only because it was either that or life as a street urchin, and she was one of the few Puella Magi that had little-to-no true loyalty to their leader.

Barging into the room which the Maidens of Clover's regiment was using as place to activate their tracking magic to keep an eye on the Devil, Akemi Homura, it was a small room with chairs arranged around a round table where a giant, misty orb sat on. The ceiling above replaced with glass so they had a clear view of the sky, a few of Merry's Maidens sat on the chairs, all of them praying with clasped hands as they focused on their magic. With each verse from their chant, sparks of magic appeared in the orb and overseeing their progress was Alexis Stroheim, Merry's second-in-command. Nothing had yet to appear on the orb despite all this.

The Maiden overseeing the prayer then noticed Merry's entrance and ran up to her, apologizing for not noticing her entry and saluting sharply, "W-Was there something you need, Madam Clover?"

Merry looked around, hands in her pocket as she kicked the door behind her shut, not thinking if it would disturb the the work her girls were doing at the moment, "I need an update on the Devil's location and status. Make it quick," Merry ordered as she leaned on the wall and fiddled with her toothpick. Her second-in-command was about to mildly object, but the glare Merry gave her made her change her mind.

"Y-Yes, Madam Clover. Of course," her second-in-command stammered. Walking over to the table, she called to the attention of the girls and gave out Merry's orders as smoothly as she could. The girls nodded and then clasped their hands tightly once again to pray, their chants much louder this time as Merry could see a sort of energy swirling in the giant orb on the table. Each time they used this orb, it gave them a clear display of the Devil without her even noticing them and it gave the Maidens some comfort knowing that they could monitor her movements without being detected. As the orb had been given to them by the Incubators, it had done much to help the Maidens in their fight.

Soon, a crackling, static image appeared in the orb, an image which made Merry's second-in-command shiver in fear from what they managed to make of it. Akemi Homura appeared in the orb, shrouded in the darkness of an unknown location of Mitakihara as they couldn't tell where she was this time due to the rare, poor quality of the orb projection. The would usually find a clear image of Akemi Homura strolling around the city or somewhere else. It was unsual.

"The Hell is this?" Merry complained, "I want a _clear _image of her, for God's sake."

"M-Madam Clover, w-we have been encountering this problem for a while now," Alexis meekly said, hands at her sides, "For days, we haven't been able to receive a clear image of Akemi's location. This is what we would usually receive. I-I was going to report this to Canoness Selena, but I waited for your approval on that course of action."

Ignoring what she had said, Merry walked up to the giant orb and tapped her finger on it. Still complaining about the lack of clarity the projection gave them, Merry gave the orb a swift kick and made the table it sat on shake.

"M-Madam Clover, I suggest you do not-"

Merry tapped on the large orb again, and suddenly, the crackling static disappeared. A full, clear image of Akemi Homura was projected, with the Devil's bare back turned to their direction, "See? Nothing serious to report," as she put her hands back in her pocket, Merry heard her name being uttered. She looked back to see that Alexis had said nothing, and soon felt a cold chill run up her spine as she could see a look of utter terror in Alexis' eyes. Her eyes drew back towards the orb and the image of Akemi Homura, who for a moment there, almost looked like she was staring _back _at Clover_. _The Maiden swore it was her imagination as she felt a bead of sweat running down her head.

**_"Merry Clover," _**she suddenly heard her name being uttered again by a voice that made her drop her toothpick from her mouth. Looking back at the orb, the image of Akemi Homura looked straight back at her and a devilish smile grew on her face. The Devil's face covered in shadows, Merry reeled back in fear with her subordinates as for the first time, the girl felt terror running through her. Her skin shivered, her face paled and she felt her knees begin to tremble. They had just been found out by Akemi Homura, and she now knows, **_"You're watching me aren't you?"_**

"Shit! Cut the connection!" Merry cursed out-loud and stretched her hand where she summoned her gun-shaped Puella Magi weapon into her palm. Pointing it at the giant orb, she pulled the trigger and shot the orb repeatedly as glass sprayed everywhere. The Maidens around the table ducked underneath as Alexis was cowering at one corner. The projected image on the orb gradually disappeared and soon, it died out. Merry still had her gun trained on the orb as the girl had broke into a cold sweat, panting heavily as she lowered her weapon to reload it.

"S-She saw us," Alexis muttered, "S-She knows we're here now...!"

The other Maidens began to shiver and shake with fear, as they all realized they no longer had the element of surprise and could be attacked any moment now by the Devil's forces. Merry, though, knew that she couldn't let Selena know that she was responsible for this and had to do something, "Alright, all of you, listen here," she looked at the Maidens serving under her, gun still in hand, "Do not tell the Canoness about this, you hear me?! I don't want her finding about this. We need to cover this up. Get rid of the orb and-"

"Are you crazy?!" one of the Maidens shouted at her, "We must tell the Canoness or else we'll-"

Merry aimed her gun at the Maiden and shot the Soul Gem that was placed around her neck. Her Soul Gem shattered into pieces, the girl falling on her back with blank eyes as a pool of blood began to surround her body. Smoke pouring form the barrel of Merry's gun, the Maiden turned to the rest and twirled her weapon around, "Does anyone else have anything to say?" They all shook their heads, recoiling away from the body as Merry holstered her pistol, "Good. Now get rid of the body and the orb."

* * *

A while later, a meeting had been called by Selena's second-in-command, Trish, along with a few others to gather every important specialist, officer and teacher in the mansion to head to the armory. The armory was lcoated in the lower levels of the large mansion behind multiple vaults and was guarded by a group of the most powerful Maidens hand-picked by Trish. The place stored all the equipment given by the Incubator Remnants which allowed them to hide from the all-seeing eye of the Devil and possibly defeat her.

In the darkest, most secure chamber of the armory, the high-ranking Maidens of Battle gathered in the small room around an altar where Nibey sat beside an ornate gauntlet. Thick wires attached to various hard-points of the weapon, light from above it shone on the magical alloy and the pink beads engraved into it. The orb on the back of the palm shimmered faintly as the gathered Maidens murmured to each other about the weapon on display.

"This is 'The Hand'," Nibey began, his blue scarf still wrapped around his scarred neck, "It's a new weapon we've been working on and it wasn't easy smuggling it here. Under orders from Canoness Selena, of course"

While Selena and her subordinates listened, Meer looked around and saw that Merry Clover was absent. Meer wanted to tell the Maiden leader beside her about this, but she did not want to interrupt the meeting. In front of her, she could see specialists Maidens, Margaret and Madeline, listening closely to Nibey's explanation as they wrote down notes on the weapon. But taking another look at Selena, Meer saw that the Maiden was staring intently at the weapon, as if she knew what it was.

"And what can this thing do?" asked Trish, who stood at the front with her whip holstered on her belt, "You've never had us hold this kind of meeting before on such short notice."

"For good reasons, of course," Nibey replied in a light-hearted tone before it turned serious for a second, "It's because The Hand is a weapon unlike anything we've made before. The devices that keep your presence undetected by the Devil? The Ripple Vials I gave you to weaken her? Pretty much all toys compared to The Hand. Why? The answer is simple: The Hand - at full power - has the ability to cut through time and space for dimensional and time travel."

Chatter suddenly erupted among the gathered Maidens, which Trish then silenced with a loud crack of her whip, "Quiet!" she holstered her disciplinary tool on her belt and gestured back to the Incubator, "Nibey, you may continue."

"Thanks," Nibey cleared his throat, "But, sadly, this is just a prototype and it lacks a proper power supply. We haven't found anything that can power this thing: plutonium, magic, you name it, we've tried it," then Nibey, for a while, looked like he was glancing at Meer's direction before continuing. The mute girl felt that he as staring right at her, "Even if we do have a power source, we haven't tested this thing, yet. So, I've brought it here to be finished. ."

Nibey nodded at Trish and the Maiden turned to her fellow sisters, "Any questions?"

Selena stepped forward, promptly speaking with folded arms, "Nibey, I thank you for bringing The Hand over so efficiently. I know I've refused to use this thing in the past, but the situation is dire, and we need all the help we can get."

"No problem," Nibey's ears twitched eagerly, "I've been wondering when you would finally use this."

"Thus, to help you activate 'The Hand', I'm assigning you help," Selena looked at Madeline and Margaret who put away their notes and bowed, "You two are staying back during tonight's attack. Figure out a way around this problem."

"Wait, tonight's attack?" Nibey questioned, leaping down from the altar, "But half your army isn't even here!"

"We're running out of time and options. Nibey, even with our technology, She is onto us. It's why I've asked you to bring The Hand here in the first place," Selena had a look of hesitation before she straitened her face and posture, "I will be announcing tonight's attack plan to the rest of the Maidens in half an hour. We will use the Ripple Vials and have them weaken her once we lure her out of the city. With luck, we should be able to win with our forces alone, but I'll be keeping The Hand as a backup plan. Everyone, head back up and prepare for the announcement."

"You heard her!" Trish barked with a snap of her whip, "We're moving out tonight, so get ready!"

And so, the meeting ended as the Maidens left for the upper floors with their orders. Selena spoke with instructors Margaret and Madeline on the way out about helping Nibey and Trish discussed with Priestess Jasmine on how use the Ripple Vials. Meer was about to leave, too, when Nibey called her over. Thinking she was in trouble, Meer meekly stepped towards the altar with her hands at her sides.

"Meer," he said softly, "Tell me. Honestly. Did you activate The Hand earlier with your magic?"

Meer looked at him straight in the beady eyes and shook her head.

"Thought so," Nibey sighed and his bruised tail flickered back and forth, "I've known you for so long, so I was surprised when it happened. But if it wasn't you, what the heck happened?"

Her face stiffened, not knowing how to put last night's encounter with that trio into words. Raising her hands, the mute girl did her best in explaining everything, "I do not know. Last night, I met this tree kids who had helped Tianzi from these group of boys. One of them looked around my age, and when he touched my hand... I felt powerful magic from his. I think The Hand reacted to the same magic. It wasn't anything I've seen before."

"A boy?" Nibey pondered, a paw on his chin, "Hmmm... Maybe I'll try and look into this. Alright, for now, do not tell anyone about this boy or what happened at the barracks. We don't want an trouble. Got it?" he got an eager nod in response and Nibey chuckled, "Right. Go on. I think the others need you."

* * *

Back up in the busy mansion, Meer passed by groups of Maidens heading to the assembly hall, all wondering about the sudden meeting that had been called. Patrolling guards wiped the sweat off their faces as they walked back in, those in the mess hall had left their meals unfinished and high-ranking Maidens such as Trish headed around the mansion to call for everyone. Among all this, Meer looked around for Regina, wondering where she was. She asked Priestess Jasmine and the sage-like girl directed her to a room upstairs: the Joining room.

Taking off her shoes before entering, the Joining room wasn't something Meer had seen yet. Going in, it was small and shaped like a hexagon. The floors were carpeted and in the middle of the room was a young girl no older than 13. She knelt in front of a silent Jade Hui-Lang as the redhead had an Incubator on her shoulders and a statue of the Maiden's bow-wiedling God behind her. Looking aside, Meer saw Regina who was watching the ritual, and went up to her to tug her on the arm.

"What's going on?" she signed with a tilt of her head.

"New recruit," Regina stated with folded arms, "Picked from the streets during my patrol. Poor kid was kicked out of her own house, so I couldn't leave her. She has the visions, too."

Looking at the kneeling, praying girl, the kid's clothes were tattered and stained, her hair strewn about as bruises from abuse covered her face. A towel given by the Maidens were draped over her shoulders, and it reminded Meer that she had a similar entry to the Maidens.

The 'visions' were something every Maiden of Battle had experienced even before becoming Puella Magi. They would see images of an imprisoned Goddess and the Devil that holds her. Becoming a Puella Magi and undergoing the process of becoming a Maiden subdued these vision, and finding those with these symptoms was how the Maidens find more for their ranks. Only a few had declined becoming a Puella Magi for many understandable reasons.

Holding her necklace that had the emblem of the Maidens engraved , Jade began with the Joining, "Child, as you kneel before me now, do you accept the offer we grant you? In exchange for a wish, do you truly desire to abandon everything in your life now... to become a Maiden of Battle?"

"I-I do " her shrill voice answered.

"Very well. With this ritual, you shall become a warrior of our imprisoned deity, our forgotten savior, as you fight to free her from the clutches of the Devil," Jade gestured to the Incubator on her shoulder, "Natsume Uragi, make your wish now and become one of us. Praise the Forgotten Savior, for she protects and watches over us, her children."

Before it would be painful to wat h, but Meer, Regina and Jade had partaken in so man Joinings that they kept a calm expresssion as the girl began to quiver. A light gathered in her chest and she bit down on her lip as she felt her soul being pulled from her body. It was painful, but the girl held back her cries and tears as her Soul Gem formed in the air. The ornate, egg-shaped Gem landed on Jade's open palm and the girl gasped for air. She collapsed, and fell into Jade's arms.

An apothecary Maiden entered the room and Jade handed the inconscious girl over to her.

Meer tugged on Regina's arm again and signed, "The Canoness is gathering all the Maidens in the assembly hall for a meeting. She has important news to announce."

"Alright. Give me a minute," Regina patted the spectacled girl on the head and walked up the Jade, "Thanks for the help. I knew I could count on you."

Jade looked at her, her stern expression softening slightly, "It's fine. But still, you shouldn't simply pick up every girl you see on the street and bring them here. Even she did have the visions, becoming a Maiden is a different thing entirely."

"You were just like her when you first joined, you know?" Regina remarked with a smirk, "She'll do fine."

Jade frowned and turned away, her cherry earrings shimmering. Regina then clapped the girl on the shoulder before turning around to leave with Meer. The mute girl following from behind, they both exited the room and left Jade alone, "For her sake, I hope so," the red head muttered under her breath.

* * *

After school, Tatsuya and Jean took the bus to Tomoe's cafe for their part-time shifts there again. But at some point, Jean had got a call from his sister and he had to head back home for a while to check up on her. Tomoe had to take care of Nagisa back at home, so Tatsuya was all alone as he stood behind the cafe counter, reading a book in hand. There was a light fog outside, no customers were oddly present, and Tatsuya wondered if there was going to be any business today.

"Good grief," Tatsuya muttered, pulling up a chair, "Is there really no one coming?" sitting down on the seat, the pink-haired boy let out a sigh and closed his book, "When is Jean coming back?" he wondered, the French boy having been gone for half an hour already.

Then, Tatsuya's eyes snapped to the door as they suddeny openend up, letting some of the fog seep inside the cafe with a slow creaking noise. He could hear footsteps inside the fog, getting louder and louder as he felt a cold chill down his spine. The radio on the counter let out nothing but static and Tatsuya lifted a hand to shut it off. Cold sweat running down his face, the boy stood up and tensed at the growing silhouette he saw in the fog.

The silhouette darkened into view, and coming into the cafe, was Akemi Homura. A hand on her waist, her amethyst earrings shimmered as she took slow steps towards the counter, her long, black dress fluttering as she spoke in an alluring,, soft-spoken voice, "Kaname. Kaname Tatsuya, I presume?"

"Correct, Miss Akemi," Tatsuya greeted her back calmly as he could. He felt her eyes studying him intently, "May I help you?"

Akemi sat on the barstool in front of him and folded her bare legs with a growing grin on her face. Hands crooked and elbowss on the counter, she kindly asked, "A plate of cake and a cup of tea, please. The best you have."

Slowly nodding, Tatsuya wrote down her order and passed it to the cooks in the back. After one of them went to prepare her order, Tatsuya went back to the counter and continued reading his book to distract himself. He moved a few seats away from Akemi, but he could still feel the cold chill whenever he stood in her presence. The fog outside thickened and sunlight barely shone through the windows.

Silence filled the room until he heard one of the cooks call him over to pick up the order. Placing the teacup and plate in front of the silent woman, Tatsuya saw the smug smile she shot at him, making his hands tremble and nearly dropping the plate. Returning to the spot far from Akemi again, Tatsuya felt his breathing fastened for a moment there.

"Kaname, have you ever considered why humans wish to live?"

"E-Excuse me?" Tatsuya said, not looking away from his book.

"Humans live hoping to conquer their anxieties and fears to attain something referred to as 'peace of mind'," Akemi sipped her tea and sighed in content, chucking lightly, "Seeking fame; Controlling others; Protecting the people you love are all done to achieve this 'peace of mind'. When humans say they wish to help, or when a thing is done in the name of 'love' or 'justice'... it is all for this very reason. It is a goal every human possesses."

Tatsuya blinked, and when he glanced at Akemi, he drew in a sharp breath as Akemi was suddenly sitting right in front of him. He had took his eyes off her just now, but he did not remember moving from where he was or hearing her move from her seat. She looked at him straight in the eyes, dark purple staring into his and almost piercing his soul.

"Knowing this," she continued, "Do you value your current way of life, your friends and your family, Kaname Tatsuya? Do you feel at peace living your normal everyday life? Especially your friend, Jean, and that girl, Nagisa," she raised a finger and placed it on the cover of Tatsuya's book, tracing the cover it reached the boy's shivering finger, "Or do you perhaps seek more in your life, and wish to see beyond what you experience everyday?"

His breathing was hoarse as Tatsuya slowly pulled his hand away and turned his back to the woman. His throat became dry, his legs were trembling, he could feel a primal fear as he could barely answer her question, "I-I..." he felt a warm breath blow on his neck, hands gripping and tightening around his shoulders, "I... do. I-I care about everyone in my life... I would do anything for them."

Akemi let out a small giggle, amused and impressed by his words, "Hmph. Well then, if so, do not do anything foolish to change your life," she leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "Or else... You will lose everything you ever cared about."

Tatsuya turned back to her in shock and saw that Akemi had vanished. A few bills of cash sat underneath the empty plate and teacup, and he felt the cold sensation go away with the fog outside, "She's gone..." he thought, picking up his book from the counter and putting it in his backpack. Looking outside, sunlight poured again through the windows as Tatsuya had stared into the distance.

The ringing of his phone knoced him out of his trance and he took the phone out of his pocket, "Hello?"

A coughing voice called, the person on the other line sounding sick, "Tatsu, is this you?"

"Nagi?" he leaned on the counter, "Is something wrong?"

"W-Well, I forgot to tell you I had another delivery go do-" Nagisa sneezed over the phone, "Mami left my bike over there, right? Mind doing it for me?"

Tatsuya looked around the empty cafe and answered, "Of course. I have some free time. Get well, alright?"

"Hehe. Thanks."

He closed the call with a loud beep and pocketed the cell. Sighing, he went to back where Nagisa's bike was. He was old enough to drive and it was easier than he had thought, but he didn't like the feeling of driving a chopper. Putting on his salmon-pink helmet, he revved the engine and secured the delivery box with the order before driving out into the road with the built-in GPS leading him.

The light of the sunset reflected off the bike's white and gold paintjob. As Tatsuya drove, he contemplated upon Akemi's words and wondered if had and answered with the truth. He truly did love his family, his friend and his peaceful life, but deep in his heart, he desired so much more than this. Sighing again under his helmet, Tatsuya continued to drive with his mind constantly thinking about Akemi's words.


	8. Chapter 7: Wrath of The Devil I

_**A/N: Happy New Year, people of this site! For some reason, they won't allow me to post the site name. **_

* * *

Night fell in the silent outskirts of Mitakihara as the moon remained hidden behind the clouds that shrouded the skies, moonlight peeking through the gaps and reflecting off broken glass and tin that littered the ground of the outskirts. An animal's howling echoed through the dark alleys, streetlights lined up along the roads flickering at random as the streets remained empty. It was quiet, but the sounds of battle would soon erupt as Selena had finally gathered her forces here, the Maidens hiding inside the buildings that were empty at this kind of hour.

Surrounding one big, open area were a couple of tall, abandoned buildings, the Maidens positioning their snipers and other ranged combatants inside their upper floors while their warriors remained at ground floor. Spotters on the rooftops scanned the perimeter for any signs of Akemi Homura, while in the tallest building, the leading officers gathered in an improvised meeting room as they discussed their battle plans. Selena, Jasmine, Trish and Merry stood around a large table with a 2D map of the area placed on it.

Selena wore her armored battle gown with her sword sheathed at her waist and her helmet under one arm, the moonlight peeking through the window behind her reflecting off her armor. Meanwhile, Trish wore a large trench coat with red trims, bits of armor covering her torso, forearms and waist, a peaked officer's cap, combat boots and an eyepatch as her right arm carried a large gauntlet brimming with electricity. Jasmine was dressed in a set of heavy robes decorated with gold as she wielded a glowing staff taller than she was, and Merry donned a set of cowboy-esque clothing, spurs jingling at the back of her feet as a large hat sat on her head with two revolvers at her waist.

"We shall lure her here with an energy beacon and set up our snipers to ambush her," Trish began, pointing a gloved finger to the large open space that the buildings surrounded. It was supposedly meant to be another building, but the city had yet to start construction for it, "Once she arrives, our snipers will strike her with a Ripple Vial-imbued shot and weaken her powers. And when she becomes vulnerable, we shall have our forces fire on her from the buildings in all directions and eliminate her from afar. In the worst situation, we shall then send the rest of our forces to attack her in close combat."

"The Ripple Vials will only weaken her for a limited amount of time," Jasmine added in an all-knowing tone, "We have to make sure that we do not prolong the battle. Otherwise, all our efforts would go to waste and she may end up regaining her full strength before we can even defeat her."

Brushing her finger on her chin while she listened, Selena looked aside to Merry and noticed that she was sweating nervously, her hands fidgeting as she tapped her jittery fingers on the table, "Merry," Selena addressed her, causing her to flinch, "Do you know your orders, or have you not been listening this entire time?"

"S-Shut up. I know my orders," Merry wiped her sweaty forehead and cleared her throat, "Stay back and wait for Trish to signal us. I got it. Yeah... I got it," she repeated, earning a questionable glare from the Trish and Selena as she found their gazes antagonizing, "What are you two looking at? I'm fine," she growled defensively.

"Hmph. If so, then act like it, Clover. We have no time for you to be acting like a coward," Trish spat, shaking her head at Merry's hesitance before redirecting her attention back to the meeting, "Alright. The Canoness and I will take the charge in the situation that the Devil survives the initial bombardment. Jas', you will stay back and have your healers be ready in the case any Maiden needs medical attention in the field. If this goes well enough, we won't need Clover's reserve group to come and help and casualties should be minimal at best," Once finished, Trish folded her hands behind her back and looked at expectantly at Selena, "Is this good enough, Canoness Bismarck?"

She gave an approving nod. Although Selena looked almost like her mind was on a completely different train of thought when she did, Trish assumed she was just stressed out and ignored it.

"Very well. Then we shall prepare the beacon."

There was a knock on the door before they were opened up by the guards to reveal Jade Hui-Lang behind them. Bowing before entering, she came in with a worn clipboard in hand and announced, "Canoness - aside from a handful of Maidens that were left behind at the mansion to assist in the construction of The Hand - the rest of our available forces have arrived and are now preparing for battle. Our reserve unit is also positioned in their designated positions and our spotters claim that **she** is on her way here as we speak," she placed the clipboard on the table and slid it over to Trish, "These are all the Maidens that will partake in the battle and are all accounted for."

"Thank you, Jade," Selena said to her before turning to her officers and gesturing them to leave, "All of you may leave now. We have work to do," as they all left the room, Selena took out the Tarot cards that Meer gave to her from her pocket and smiled at it before putting it back. She hoped that battle would go well enough that the reserve unit wouldn't have to partake in it.

After the meeting, Jasmine had gone off to join her forces and help them pray for the upcoming battle to improve morale, whilst Merry had most likely ran off to regroup with her forces. With the clipboard Jade handed to them earlier, Selena and Trish walked through the empty hallways of the building, not a candle lit to prevent giving away their position as the moon gave them their only source of light. Their clunky footsteps filling the air, Trish read the clipboard and went over the Maidens that will partake in the battle, Selena nodding annually as Trish went on.

"Tianzi-Li Mei, Gina Rogue, Uragi Natsume, Alexis Stroheim, Regina Ghiaccio, Aveline Aquarius, Sasha Stroheim..." as Trish listed them down, the taller and older Maiden looked back at her leader and saw her gazing out of the window, eyeing the stars in the sky with a near empty look in her eyes, "Is something the matter, Canoness?"

They stopped in the middle of the hall, Selena having not realized that she had been tuning out for a while now. She was going to reassure her second-in-command that she was alright, but she knew that after years of serving together, that Trish wouldn't believe any lie she gave, "I-" she played with her braid, stuttering, "I was just thinking about Meer. I... talked to her this afternoon."

"About her possible future duties?"

"Yes... I told her about what we planned for her after this. She's perfectly willing to lead the Maidens and is fit to do so. But-" Selena leaned on the window behind her, her armored hand cupping her cheeks as she rubbed her arm, "We're finally here. Finally going to take on the Devil. Minutes from now, we'll be accomplishing what we had set out to do for so long. And right before that I feel - _scared_," Selena let out a nervous laugh, one Trish hadn't heard from her ever since she rose up as their leader, "A bit pitiful coming from me, huh? All these years, even after all those rousing speeches I always gave to the Maidens to keep morale up, I still feel like that little girl who was left to rot in the streets..."

Then, Selena felt Trish's hand softly grip her shoulder, as Trish lowered her tone and shook her head disapprovingly, "Canoness - No. Selena. Such emotions are natural, coming from the fact that we have spent years building this rebellion up from nothing. I have served under you all this time, watched you lead us, and I can safely say that the fact that you're here, leading us, makes you the bravest of of us all," she then removed her hand and gave a small apologetic bow when Selena gave her a look of genuine surprise. Trish's face even turned a slight shade of red, "My apologies for suddenly speaking out of line, Canoness. I was just trying to-"

"No," Selena smiled, a hand on her chest as she clapped Trish on the arm and pulled her into a small hug, "I needed that. Thank you, Trish."

The vice-commander hesitantly returned the smile as she tipped her officer's cap and nodded, "You are most welcome."

Breaking off the hug, Selena then continued to walk with Trish following her from behind. A hint of confidence now in her stride, Selena smiled as they entered the next room and saw the large number of Maidens that were preparing for the upcoming battle. As they readied their ammo, prayed for victory, steeled their nerves and bantered with one another to remove the unease that came with the waiting, Selena looked at Trish and gestured to her that they do the same, "Come, we must help the others prepare. It's time."

* * *

Far from where the battle was about to take place, the reserve unit of the Maidens of Battle were stationed in a half-finished building with a good view of the target destination. Mostly made up of Maidens serving under Merry Clover, they all waited at the top of the building, ready to move when Trish gave them the signal to. Sitting among smelly paint cans, bricks and steel frames lying everywhere, Regina and Meer were in the building's 4 floor to get some alone time. The lights from the main town of Mitakihara in the distance making it shine like a beacon of light, a cold breeze blew by and made Meer shiver under her robes.

Meer looked at her friend, who's smile was missing from her face as she absent-mindedly played with the Soul Gem in her hand. Wanting to get her attention, Meer laid her head on her shoulder and tugged her sleeve as Regina seemingly snapped out of her thoughts, "What is it, Meer?" Regina said, taking out a small canteen from her pocket and taking a sip.

"Are you going?" she signed with a small frown.

Pausing with the canteen still at her lips, Regina scratched the back of her head as she could see from her the Maidens in the target destination getting into their positions, "Yeah. As one of the Canoness' best warriors, I really can't just sit this one out and stay here with you. Even if I wanted to," she lifted a hand and patted Meer on the head before levering herself up. Putting away her canteen, she gave the mute girl a reassuring smile, "Just wait here for me, okay?"

Meer gave a slow nod, "Be careful."

Regina returned it with a small laugh, tugging on her collar with her fingers, "Yeah, I will. So sit back and be ready, alright? After this, we'll head back to the mansion and I'll cook up anything you want! Anything!" she boasted as Meer smiled and excitedly clapped her hands together. Turning to Meer one last time, she gave a small wink and then leapt off the building, jumping onto the one in front of them in a single bound to regroup with Selena's forces.

Getting up, Meer watched as Regina went off before turning around to see Merry Clover standing behind her, eyeing her suspiciously as Meer shot her a cold glare in return. Ignoring her, Meer walked pass her as the higher-ranking Maiden said, "I know Bismarck sent you to watch over me, Feuer," Meer looked back at her over her shoulder when she heard that, then continued to where the rest of the reserve unit was, "Hmph. Just wanted to let you know, that here, I'm in charge. So don't get any ideas," Merry scowled at Meer's back, "I'm watching you."

As Meer ascended the stairs, Merry grunted before kicking a paint can at her feet in anger. Its contents spilled across the floor while Merry sat down on a steel frame and tapped her foot on the ground. Knowing that the Devil now knew of their imminent attack, Merry couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen. The thought of facing that demon even with an army was a frightening thought, and even with those toys Nibey gave them, did they really have a chance at standing up to her?

Most of the reserve unit right now belonged to her, and out of all of them, Meer was one of the few that did not bend to her orders out of fear. When the time calls for the a decision, that girl will be the only thing standing in her way.

* * *

After making some deliveries all around Mitakihara, it was already dinner time as Tatsuya drove to the nearest gas station in the outskirts of town, completely drained of energy and hungry for some food. Entering the dim light of the station, Tatsuya parked the bike and proceeded to refill the gas tank after fumbling with the tank's cap for a while. After unlocking the straps, he took of his salmon-colored helmet and gasped for air, wiping the sweat off his face with the sleeves of his school uniform, "Good grief... I'm finally done," Tatsuya muttered, checking his pockets for his wallet.

Leaving his helmet on the bike, Tatsuya dragged his tired feet to the nearest vending machine and bought a sports drink. Tatsuya dropped onto a nearby bench and read his novel while he waited for the bike to fill up, popping open his drink with a loud snap and quenching his dry throat. Some of it trailed down the corner of his mouth and he wiped it off with his sleeves.

Leaning back into the seat, the gas station was mostly empty at this kind of time with barely any sign of other cars, the outskirts of town mostly made out of buildings and houses that were still under renovation. As there were only a few people living here, this gas station was the only source of light in sight in this area. It was like a ghost town, the houses built with a more Classic European architecture in contrast to those that were built in the residential district and the town. One could even see giant construction cranes standing tall around here if one were to look outside.

Bringing the can again to his lips, Tatsuya was flipping the pages of his novel, waiting for the bike to finish refilling, when he heard the sound of a car down the road. He felt a small shiver run through his hand when he did. Curious, he finished up his drink, tossed it in the trash can and pocketed his book to see where the sound came from. Looking down the road, Tatsuya saw a purple limousine driving at a slow pace, _"Is that...?" _ the headlights of the vehicle flashed, making him squint his eyes in response to avoid being blinded.

As the limousine drove by, Tatsuya opened his eyes and gasped when he saw Akemi Homura sitting calmly in the back of the limo. Unsure if she either ignored him or just didn't notice him at all, the limo drove by without stopping as Tatsuya saw the vehicle head off into the distance. He stood there for a minute, wondering why was she here, before hearing the beeping that signaled the refilling of his bike. Getting back to the bike and inserting the cash into the machine to pay for the fuel, Tatsuya stared at his helmet in thought as he sat on the bike. This afternoon, what she said to him, what did she really mean about changing his life? Was it related to those two girls he met yesterday?

Tatsuya looked at his face as it reflected off the helmet and tried shaking away those thoughts.

Tightening the straps of his helmet and revving up the engine, Tatsuya then drove out of the gas station and stopped to look both ways. He looked into the direction where Tomoe's café was, the bright city glowing far from where he was, then into the direction where Homura's car went, and then proceeded to head into the latter. Pulled by an unknown force and a need from some answers, Tatsuya could not help but follow her, determined to talk to her again as he accelerated his bike to catch up to her.

* * *

As Homura's limousine parked itself on the side of the empty street, the passenger door opened by itself, allowing Homura to stick out one leg onto the granite as she ordered her driver to leave. Stepping out of the vehicle, the door closed behind her while Homura gazed at the sky above her and saw the rain clouds that began to gather in the skies. The soft echo of thunder in the distance, Homura strode along the sidewalk while she heard her limo drive off. She avoided the trash at her feet until she reached a small alleyway; Homura felt the presence of the Puella Magi leading here just recently and went in.

Her footsteps echoed through the dark alley, her shadow stretched on the granite behind her and her amethyst earrings ringing softly. A smirk on her face, Homura couldn't help but be entertained by this game of Cat &amp; Mouse she had been playing for a while now. Whoever she was chasing, they were certainly good at running and hiding from her for this long. They must have received some help from the rogue Incubators if they managed to keep this up until now.

Reaching a wide, open space, Homura's eyes leered at the number of tall, empty buildings surrounding her. They stood on her North, East and West, her ears picking up nothing but the clacking of her heels on the ground and the jingling of her earrings. Eyes narrowed, she scanned the hundreds of windows on the buildings, seeing nothing, but sensing the presence of at least something nearby.

Homura let out a frustrated hiss when she noticed that some dirt had gotten onto her dress. Brushing it off with one hand, Homura then noticed something small flashing at her feet. Lifting one hand from her side, the tiny object at her feet levitated off the ground and floated into her palm. Upon close inspection, the tiny device looked like a beacon of some sort. It was harmlessly beeping in her palm, until it let out a high-pitched whine before Homura crushed it in her palm and dropped its remains onto the ground, disappointed that someone would actually try and attack her with a bomb.

Suddenly, a crack of gunfire rang in the air and Homura felt several darts pin her in the neck, arms and torso. Suddenly feeling drained of all her strength, Homura gasped for air and doubled over in pain, dragging her hand across her face as she felt like she was about to throw up. As seconds pass, she started to sweat, Homura's hand reaching for the darts to pluck them out when suddenly, multiple spotlights from the rooftops shined upon her and blinded her momentarily.

"Maidens, take aim!" a stern voice commanded as Homura heard the windows of each building break open and shatter around her. Panting, Homura looked around her and saw hundreds upon hundreds of Puella Magi aiming their wands, staffs, rifles, bows, muskets and cannons right at her. And right top of the building in front of her, Homura saw a lone figure in an armored gown, raising a flaming sword above her head like a beacon of hope as the moon shone behind her back. An entire army of Puella Magi had now trained their weapons on her, but she still could not sense any sort of Magical reading from them.

Homura's smirk grew wider as sweat trailed down the side of her face and dropped to the concrete.

"Akemi Homura!" the figure declared, as raindrops slowly started to pour around them, "I am Selena Bismarck, Canoness of the Maidens of Battle! The Puella Magi who have been called forth by the Forgotten Savior that you have imprisoned behind your veil of peace! As she calls to us in her time of need, we are the ardent flame that will burn away your corruption, purify this world and carry out justice in Her name!" her rousing speech was emphasized by the cheers of the Maidens in the buildings as they all prepared to fire.

Homura managed to stand, gazing right into the eyes of the sword-wielding Maiden up on the building as Homura started to chuckle.

Unsettling to the Maiden's ears, Selena then swung her flaming sword in an arc and commanded, "Fire!"

The silent air was then broken by the thundering noises of cannon fire, repeated gunshots, the whistling of bombs as they dropped and arrows as they sung through the air. Balls of flames, pikes of ice and more rained down upon Homura and converged upon her position, rupturing the ground beneath her upon impact and creating a cloud of dust as they bombarded the area with their barrage with extreme prejudice. For minutes, the Maidens continued their bombardment, hundreds of Maidens expending everything they had in one single salvo as they fired nonstop with precise orders shouted to them by Trish. As the flames and explosions reflected off Selena's eyes, deafened her ears and reverberated through her body, she could smell the gunpowder and ash in the air. Closing her eyes, she bathed in the noise of the barrage, letting the noise drown out everything else. Until, she finally swung her sword again, the flames on it vanishing into thin air as she ordered them to stop.

Trish shouted nonstop over the sounds of explosions and gunfire until the last Maiden had ceased her firing and got back in line. Their vision still covered by a large dust cloud, the Maidens took the moment to catch their breath as Selena waited to see the fruits of their labor unravel in front of their eyes. Trish on the eastern building ordered her troops to reload their guns and cannons while Jasmine in the western building ordered her troops to rest instead, the bombardment expending a great amount of energy from her staff and wand-wielding Maidens.

Over the radio, Selena could hear some of the Maidens muttering in awe that they had just killed the Devil, some of them even beginning to cheer and celebrate. Banter and laughter started to erupt between the troops, Trish and some of the officers telling them to quiet down and wait before celebrating until they just gave up and let the Maidens vent their happiness.

A giant purple bolt of energy then shot out of the cloud and struck the western building like a flaming meteor. Selena and Trish gasped as the blast ruptured the building and caused the entire structure to collapse with most of the Maidens still inside. While those on the ground floor ran out of the building in a panic, they all could hear the screaming of their fellow comrades echoing from the falling building until it simply faded away as the structure finally broke apart into pieces of ash, debris and rubble. Then, there was the sound of clapping, as the dust cloud suddenly vanished, revealing Homura still standing with mere scrapes and bruises all over her tall figure.

The remainder of Jasmine's troops cried as some were trapped under the rubble, their comrades desperate to pull them out while some were frozen with fear. As Trish saw her comrades' bloodied bodies lying motionless underneath the remains of the building, Trish barked over the radio in a fit of rage as their troops continued their barrage in a mad panic, "Open fire!"

"Trish, no!" Selena's protest was drowned out by the sounds of her troops firing their guns and cannons.

Selena could not stop her Maiden's need for revenge as Homura then raised her hands and created a field of energy around her. Artillery shells and gunfire exploded and bounched harmlessly off the surface as Homura chuckled, almost out of breath but still able to fight, "Selena Bismarck, I applaud you for your efforts. But, sadly, I had already foreseen this attack," her words rang in Selena's mind, rattling her as the Canoness faltered, "You fight for a God you do not even know exists, dare to oppose I, Akemi Homura, and yet, you still rose up to the challenge of defeating me. Very daring, but very foolish."

The darts on her neck, body and arms fell to the ground as Homura's dress started to shift into a different form. As the Maiden's barrage began to die down from lack from their ammunitions running low, Homura's strapless, purple dress shifted into a more demonic, risqué, ebony-colored form with detached sleeves and a black collar. On the side of her head, sat a large, red ribbon and on her back, grew a pair of large, monstrous wings with a massive wingspan as Homura hovered into the sky. She spread her wings, and doing so, nearly blocked out the moonlight.

Licking her lips, Homura gazed down on the Maidens as they stopped their barrage and looked up at her with pure terror in their eyes. Trish barked at them to remain calm as Homura clapped her hands together and summoned 14 Familliars out of thin air that looked like a group of dolls in funeral clothing. As they descended upon the Maidens with glee, they wielded weapons in their hands, eager for a fight, "I do not know what was in those darts... But, I will not need my full power to defeat all of you..."

Raising her flaming sword above her head to gain the attention of all her remaining Maidens, Selena leapt off the top of the building and cracked the ground upon landing with a thundering noise, "Maidens, fight by my side in Her name!" shouting a war cry that reignited the willpower of her troops, the Maidens of Battle came swarming out of the buildings to meet with Homura's Familliars in battle as bolts of energy rained down on them like meteors, bodies already beginning to pile up as the battle of Mitakihara finally started.


	9. Chapter 8: Wrath of The Devil II

Hours had gone by ever since Nibey - with the assistance of the Maidens - had begun working on a proper power source for The Hand. Despite the resources dedicated to fixing the weapon's power problems, nothing of sort had resulted as The Hand remained powerless. Nothing was powerful enough to awaken the weapon as the weapon itself remained on its altar, wires connecting it to the mansion's power supply while a dim light shone on it. Earlier they had shut down the entire mansion to power The Hand, to not avail.

Nibey sat on a table covered in paperwork and notes as the Incubator stared at The Hand in thought, his scarred tail waving back and forth. Instructors Madeline and Margaret had gone back up the mansion to grab a meal after Nibey told them to take a break, so Nibey was left alone with The Hand inside the mansion's deepest vault.

His mind drifted from one thought to another, from the countless proposed theories of a power supply for The Hand, to that moment this afternoon when Meer had set off The Hand; she said that a boy was responsible for it, and if so, who was this person that a simple touch could power something that nothing else could? A person that could power The Hand through physical contact alone would have to possess a potential for magic even more than Selena herself. And for a **boy **to have this much power, perhaps there was more to this city than Akemi Homura...

Suddenly, the vault shook as if an earthquake had struck the mansion, the Incubator nearly falling off the desk as he yelped and grabbed the edge of the table by reflex. Sirens could be heard wailing outside the vault as Nibey climbed back up the table and heard the guards outside the door heading off in a hurry. Their footsteps grew louder and in number as if all the guards were rushing up to the mansion, then, over the wall intercom, a panicking Margaret alerted the remaining Maidens in the mansion to the situation.

"We're under attack! All guards, prepare for enemy assault! Prepare for enemy-!" the intercom was abruptly cut off after the sound of an explosion drowned out the alert.

"Oh no," Nibey murmured, looking back at The Hand as the lights blacked out and left the vault in complete darkness. He jumped over to the altar and hit a switch, causing all the wires attached to The Hand to eject and fall to the floor. As the back-up lights lit up on the ceiling, a metallic box formed around The Hand, securing it in a tight container as the altar lowered itself to Nibey's level.

The vault door burst open and Nibey jumped in shiock as Madeline rushed in, wearing her Priestess robe and wielding a large staff. Clenching her bleeding waist, she was breathing hard as she sheathed her staff on her back and slammed the vault door shut, "Nibey, we need to get The Hand out of here! The mansion is compromised and we can't let that be destroyed!" the Maiden instructor took the container and secured it to the Incubator's back with a harness.

They could hear the sounds of the mansion guards calling for back up over Madeline's radio, shouting something about an army of Familiars breaching the fronts gates.

Tightening the harness, Madeline clicked a button on the wall and revealed another door that slid open on the vault wall. Opening the door, a steep staircase in front of them lead to the back of the mansion, "Go! Bring this to the Canoness and regroup with her!" Madeline ordered, turning back to the main door with her staff in hand as winced from her bleeding waist, "We'll try and hold the mansion as best we can, so hurry!"

Thankful for the Maiden's assistance, Nibey nodded, "Thank you, Madeline. Good luck," The Incubator said before running up the stairs, the door closing behind him as Madeline reached for the radio.

"All Maidens, follow my orders now!"

* * *

As the blood of young Maidens ran through the streets during the Battle of Mitakihara, the rainfall intensified as a thunderstorm had approached the city outskirts. Rain poured on the Maidens as they fought, making their footing on the granite worse as the rain mixed with the blood that poured forth from bodies that lied unmoving on the ground. In the sky, Homura spectated her 14 Clara Dolls as they clashed blades with The Maidens, all the while summoning large bolts of energy that rained down upon the battlefield like flaming meteors.

The artillery provided by Homura slaughtered Maidens in droves, crashing upon the field in huge blasts that burned away anyone that got caught in the explosion while leaving the survivors either half-dead or in dire need of an apothecary. The Maidens' numbers dwindled as the Clara Dolls mercilessly cut down any Maiden in reach, their ferocity only matched by their implacability and uncanny looks as they mostly targeted those left vulnerable by Homura's artillery.

Twirling her blade in hand, the rain evaporated upon landing on the flaming surface of her weapon as Selena's armor was cracked from battle damage. She locked blades with a Clara Doll, pushing her blade down on its spear as she gritted her teeth under her damaged helmet. When she felt the heat of an energy bolt approaching her from behind, Selena overpowered the Clara Doll and round-house kicked it away before turning around and stretching out her hand.

Selena casted a magic rune circle in the air and caged the large bolt of power before it could hit her. Grimacing from the intense heat, Selena closed her grip and the energy bolt was banished away by Selena's magic. Selena panted, sweating under her armor, before rushing to the aid of a few panicking Maidens far from her, "Sisters, have no fear! No remorse!" she cried before jumping into the air and cleaving a Doll's head off its shoulder. Landing in the middle of her sisters, the Clara Doll simply picked up its decapitated head before raising its spear in anger.

On the other side of the battlefield, Trish clashed with another Clara Doll as her trench coat was torn and her armored plating cracked beyond repair. She caught the Doll's weapon in the palm of her giant power gauntlet before snapping it like a twig. Pulling back her arm, her giant armored fist crashed into its face with the force of a train and sent it flying into the air. Her gauntlet surging with electricity, Trish panted as she gripped her wounded shoulder and reached for her radio. Nothing but static came from it.

"All squads, form up! Jade, Regina, carry the wounded into the buildings! All remaining snipers focus on Akemi Homura now!" Trish's voice blared through the noise of the battle as the vice-commander was desperate to reform what was left of their fighting force. Trish then slid across the wet granite as a Clara Doll pounced on her and impaled its spear into where she previously stood. The same Clara Doll she had sent flying a minute ago, it had a large burn mark on its face as it hissed at her.

An explosion suddenly erupted behind Trish before she could react and threw the girl to the blood-soaked ground, drenching her coat with blood and rain as her chest plate shattered when she landed. Coughing out some blood, Trish saw two Clara Dolls sprung at her with their spears, only for Selena to dash behind them and cleave the two in half with her blade, "Trish!" Selena landed on her side, helping her up as the Dolls fell to the floor in pieces, "Are you alright?"

"I'm f-fine, Canoness. I- Watch out!" Trish shielded Selena with her body as a meteor bolt crashed behind them, throwing them off and making their ears ring with pain. The two landed on their feet, Trish raking the ground with her gauntlet while Selena stabbed the ground with her sword to regain balance. On the other side of the battlefield, they saw Regina and Jade fighting off some Clara Dolls in an attempt to protect their retreating wounded. As the wounded ran into the buildings, their remaining warriors fought off the Dolls with Jade and Regina while their snipers attempted to shoot Homura down.

"Gem Scatter!" Jade shouted as she fired a barrage of emerald gems from her palm, shattering apart a Clara Doll frozen solid by Regina who blasted anything near them with an ice ray. The two stood at the entrance of the building, side by side, shooting at any enemy that tried to get in as the other Maidens carried the wounded inside.

Reigniting the flames of her sword, Selena unlocked her helmet's straps before throwing the broken gear to the ground as dead weight. The cold rain felt cool to her sweat face as Selena looked up and saw Homura cast her gaze on them with a grin, "Trish, ignite the flare! Call for reinforcements!" lightning flashed in the sky as Homura turned towards them, "Hurry!"

Taking out the flare gun from her trench coat, Trish aimed it in the air and fired. The flare soared into the sky like a beacon of light in the dark, stormy rain before it died out. Trish dropped the flare gun and tightened her power gauntlet's straps, the device almost reaching its limit as it started to short-circuit, "Canoness, the Ripple Vials are going to wear off soon! We're running out of time!"

Selena could barely hear her vice-commander over the sounds of explosions and the cries of their sisters around them. Clinging to the hilt of her cracked sword, Selena shot an intense glare at Homura as the dark goddess floated towards them with a smug smile on her face, almost like she wanted a challenge. Selena accepted this silent request and began ripping away what was left of her broken armor, heavy pieces of metal clattering around her until she stood only in a pair of leggings and a body glove soaked in rain and blood.

"Trish, regroup with the others!" she ordered, hearing nothing from Trish in reply, "Trish, go!"

Instead of heeding her order, the vice-commander stood by her side, still able to fight despite the injuries she had accumulated. As purple flames from the fire of Homura's energy bolts began to surround them, it was almost as if the two stood in Hell itself as the Devil hovered towards them to personally judge them herself, "I will not let you go alone, Selena! As vice-commander, it is my duty to protect you!"

Her power gauntlet surged with electricity as Trish blazed with loyalty towards her commander. Quietly nodding with a faint smile, Selena gripped the hilt of her sword as finally Homura landed on the ground with a loud clap of thunder echoing in the sky. As the Clara Dolls targeted their troops, the leader of the Maidens faced the Devil themselves.

* * *

Driving in the thunderstorm felt like a crazy thing to do as Tatsuya sped through the dark, watery streets on Nagisa's bike. Previous following Homura's limousine here, he had gotten lost when it started to rain all of a sudden, making it hard to see where he was even going despite the bike's headlights. His soaking uniform sticking to his skin and thunder blaring in his ears, Tatsuya was desperate to find his way back to the city when, in the far distance, he saw a light shining briefly in the sky before dying out.

Tatsuya drove in its direction in hopes that he had found a place he could stay at while he waited for the storm to die out. He could see shining lights in the distance, which was odd considering he was in the city outskirts. Ignoring this, Tatsuya sped up.

But, the further he drove, the more he began to see what was really there through the rain.

They were not lights from a building or anything like that. No. As he got closer, he realized they were instead the blinding lights of explosions in the distance as Tatsuya could slowly make out their noise he had previously mistaken for the thunder. Driving closer, Tatsuya saw the source of the explosions as his bike skid to a stop and the boy drew in a sharp breath, "What the-?"

In the sky, Tatsuya could see giant orbs of purple energy manifest in the air before they rained down on the ground and erupted in a massive wave of death.

Tatsuya could feel the vibrations of the blasts even from here. Then, as he got off his bike, Tatsuya saw a demon, a winged demon floating in the air on black wings that spanned far and wide. Her raven hair fluttering in the air as the meteors manifested seemingly of her own will. Tatsuya did not know what he was even looking at... but a wave of realization washed over him as he suddenly felt like he knew who it was: Homura. Akemi Homura. Hovering among the clouds like a black god, this presence was undoubtedly Akemi Homura herself.

Tatsuya's mouth went agape underneath his helmet; the boy was unsure whether this was real or not. It was like a nightmare. A streak of lightning then flashed in the sky and illuminated the streets in front of him for a second. That was all Tatsuya needed as the boy lowered his gaze to the roads in front of him and widened his eyes as he noticed the number of charred bodies lying in front of him in droves.

Multiple bodies of young girls laid unmoving on the watery road, lying in craters as the smell of their burnt flesh nearly made Tatsuya throw up underneath his helmet. None of the girls looked any older than he was as Tatsuya started to shiver with fear,_ "What's going on here...?"_

Something flashed across his helmet's visor. Looking up, Tatsuya saw a stray bolt of light flying in his direction and the boy froze on the spot.

Too slow to start his bike, Tatsuya ran instead. He ran as fast as he could before he was thrown into the air by an explosion erupting behind him. He felt his back burn from the scorching heat as he landed in an alley and tumbled into a wall. Grimacing as he felt his leg snap while the visor of his helmet cracked, Tatsuya muffled a cry of pain. He opened his eyes and he felt light-headed, his breathing pace increasing under his helmet while his heart rate increased.

Tatsuya saw his cherished pocket watch lying in a small distance from him. It's casing was cracked and the chain had snapped; the picture of him, Madoka, their father and mother was now exposed to the rain. Tatsuya felt his cellphone ring in his pocket, the specific ringtone indicating that it was his sister.

Suppressing the pain in his legs, Tatsuya dragged himself over to his pocket watch, scraping his fingernails on the wet granite as his vision started to blur. He felt something warm trail down the side of his head under his helmet, but Tatsuya chose to ignore it. When he finally reached his prize, Tatsuya's dirt-covered hand grabbed the pocket watch and held it tight, before one final breath escaped his lips as the boy fell unconscious.

* * *

Far from where the Battle of Mitakihara took place, Merry and the Maidens' reserve unit watched in a mix of awe and terror as they spectated the battle between the Devil and their main strike force. They watched the large, bright lights of death rain down upon their sisters, the battlefield glowing brightly in the darkness of the Mitakihara Outskirts as the fires of war burned bright tonight; They did not expect the battle to be of this scale. They were not prepared for a power such as this.

Meer watched as her hands cupped her mouth in horror. The sheer power of the Devil - even when weakened - dwarfed even their strongest Maidens. With her Soul Gem in her hand, Meer was desperate to rush over there and help, but she knew she had to follow orders and wait for the signal. She was Selena's successor after all. She could not break command. Looking at the other Maidens of the reserve unit, Meer saw a few of them shaking with their weapons in hands while others simply gazed at the battlefield with a distant look in their eyes.

Not even Merry could watch the onslaught with a straight face. The Maiden Celestial rarely every showed her fear as she was a veteran of the Maidens, but no one could witness the power of a dark God and not at least break into sweat. Merry turned away from the sight of the battle and pulled the bill of her cowboy hat down as she muttered something under her breath.

"Look!" one of her Maidens shouted.

Looking back, Merry saw it. They all saw the signal flare shooting up into the sky as the main strike force finally called for aid. And when the flare died out, all of the Maidens turned to Merry, who wore an expression too hard for anyone to read. Meer got up, readying herself to rush over there immediately to help out the others. A few of the other Maidens also looked eager to aid their fellow sisters in battle, when Merry suddenly turned around and stoically ordered: "All of you, ready up. We're leaving this place."

Meer gasped as a collective murmur started among the reserve unit. At first, most of them looked like they were going to protest, but upon turning back to gaze at the battlefield after hearing another meteor bolt crash into the ground, suddenly, they stood down and held back their complaints. Fear began to overrun them the moment they saw what the Devil could do with only a half - or even a quarter of her power available - and everyone but Meer were quick to give up.

"Come on, we're going!" Merry shouted, pointing at the light in the distance to emphasize her point, "Look at that. There's no point in even trying. We go over there, we die. Right now, it's better if we regroup with the others and prepare another strike once we have everyone here. Bismarck was an idiot to think we could take Her on with only half our forces, so I'm leading this time," Merry crossed her arms, looking at her subordinates for any sign of objection, "Does anybody have a problem with that?"

Meer instantly stepped forward as Merry quickly glared at her with eyes of pure malice.

The two held their gaze as Merry reached for the pistol on her holster, but upon considering Meer's abilities, she withdrew her hand and instead, casted the following sentence with a tone of absolute, "As the only one fit to be leading the Maidens after Bismarck, I, Merry Clover, banish you, Meer Feuer, from the Maidens of Battle," her words made the mute girl stunned with shock as Merry turned to her subordinates, "Who else can lead us, huh? This mute girl? I've seen as much shit as Bismarck, so who has a problem with me leading? Who would rather follow Meer here?"

Meer desperately looked at her sisters, only to see none of them even speak up against Merry's order. None dared to, and with that, Merry smiled as she then turned around and walked off with her subordinates. Some of the Maidens gave the mute girl looks of sympathy as Meer collapsed to her knees and watched her fellow sisters leave her behind, thunder echoing in the sky as the sisters she had served alongside for years with leave her behind without protest.

Suppressing her tears, Meer turned around, rushed out onto the streets and towards the direction of the battlefield. Not knowing herself whether she wanted to help her sisters, or simply die alongside them, the rain soaked Meer's robes as she held back the urge to cry. She rushed past the charred bodies of sisters who tried escaping the battle, and as she ran, Meer suddenly heard a voice weakly drowned out by the rain.

"Meer! Meer, wait! Stop!"

Meer came to a stop, and slowly turned around to spot Nibey running up to her with a container strapped to his back. His paws were dirtied and his scarred fur was soaking wet. The girl paused, then fell to her knees on the wet granite as the Incubator caught up to her. Before Nibey could even say anything, Meer grabbed him and held the Incubator to her chest tightly, her entire body shivering as tears streamed from the corner of her eyes.

Nibey was taken aback by the action, never having seen her so emotional before, "Meer...? What happened? Where are the others...?"

She looked at him and then shook her head. Tears still trailing down her cheeks, Meer gazed in the direction of the battlefield glowing in the distance, it's light bright enough to make one think as if the sun crept over the horizon.

The two remained silent as they simply watched the battle take place from afar, explosions erupting and purple flames spreading about as if Hell was growing in the Mitakihara Outskirts. Meer and Nibey couldn't do anything but witness everything they had helped build up for this day burn in front of them into ashes... Then, Nibey's ears suddenly perked up as he sensed a nearby magical presence. A faint presence, but stronger than anything he had every sensed before.

"Meer, over here!" Nibey shouted as he jumped out of Meer's arms. The bespectacled girl slowly following the Incubator just to make sure he was alright, they passed the smoking remains of a motorcycle and the two entered a small alley. In there, they found the body of a boy lying unconscious on the ground. The very boy Meer had encountered a day ago, "Is this...?"

Meer slowly nodded as she knelt down and picked up the pocket watch in his hand. Taking off the boy's broken helmet, he had an injury on the side of his head, his legs were bleeding and he suffered severed burns on his back, but he was alive.

"Help me carry him to the hospital," Nibey suddenly asked as Meer understandably turned to him with a questioning look. She was going to ask why, but she noticed the sense of desperation behind Nibey's beady eyes and immediately understood him, "If he's the boy you talked about, then we should help him. We... We can't do anything to save Selena and the others now. This is the only thing we can do now..."

Wiping the corners of her eyes, Meer then picked up the boy, hearing him wince in pain as they carried him off. Walking out of the alley, Meer took one last look at the battlefield in the distance before she headed off to the nearest hospital with Tatsuya in tow.

* * *

Letting out a war-cry that echoed through the battlefield, Selena Bismarck reignited the flames of her cracked sword as she rushed across the burning flames and corpses surrounding them. With Trish right behind her, her braid undone and her body soaked in blood and rain, Selena charged forward with a determined look on her face while Homura simply chuckled. With an amused smile, Homura landed on the wet, bloody granite as her black wings instantly retracted into her bare back.

Arms folded nonchalantly across her chest, two bolts of purple energy swirled into existence behind Homura as the two Maidens of Battle charged at her with heroic zeal. Another wordless smile came from Homura before she snapped her fingers and the two bolts of energy behind her launched at the two like heat-seeking missiles, zipping across the field while leaving a trail of purple flames behind.

Skidding to a stop, Selena stretched out her hands and formed a magic rune circle in front of them, "Trish, stay behind me!" as the vice-commander braced herself behind Selena, the two energy meteors struck the rune circle, causing Selena's knees to buckle under her as she felt the fingers on her hand starting to go numb from the stress placed on her. Sparks flew everywhere and the rune circle started to crack. Selena closed her hand and the rune circle exploded with the two projectiles, filling the area with blinding, hot smoke.

As Homura wondered if the two were finally dead, Trish leapt out of the smoke and launched herself at Homura, her power gauntlet crackling with energy and her trench coat on fire, "Akemi Homura!" Trish's power gauntlet swung through the air and impacted on a force field Homura easily projected in front of her. Verniers flipped open on the side of Trish's gauntlet and flared, pushing her fist deeper into the field in an attempt to shatter it apart. Grimacing, the Maiden vice-commander's attempts were futile.

Homura raised a curious brow, then smirked, "Useless," she waved away the force field in a flash and took a step towards Trish. Homura's fists flared with purple flames and collided with Trish's gauntlet. A sound akin to thunder erupted as Homura's flaming fist connected with Trish's, Homura smirking down on the weakening, bleeding Maiden as her power gauntlet started to crack, "Useless," simply pushing her fist forward, Trish's gauntlet suddenly shattered as Homura's burning fist tore off her hand with ease, "Useless..."

"Trish!" a bloodied Selena rushed out of the smoke to the vice-commander's aid, only for Homura to let out a sigh and blast the two with ray of magical energy. Too fast for them to react, Selena and Trish tumbled across the burning battlefield and hit the side of a building. Selena's sword shattered on impact when it landed while the two struggled to stand up.

Homura sighed again and shook her head in disappointment, "You two fail to impress me. You shoot me with something to take away most of my powers, and yet, you all still fail to even shed a bit of my blood," Homura looked around and saw her Clara Dolls cleaning up the rest of the Maidens, nearly done as only a few remained fighting, "In the end, none of you accomplished anything. Pitiful."

Trish held back her screaming as she bit down on her lip, clenching her bleeding stump as Selena clenched the burns on her chest. Taking out an emergency field wrap from her trench coat, Trish heard her radio crackle with chatter and handed it to the Canoness before tending to her injury, "Canoness... Please respond... Canoness..." Selena clicked the radio open, "Canoness, this is sniper Tianzi Li-Mei... M-My squad is g-gone... but, I still h-have one more Ripple Dart in my weapon. I-I can fire it at the Devil i-if...!"

Selena saw Homura finally turn back to them again, a proud smirk on her face, "Do it. I'll distract her," Selena ordered as she got on one knee and picked up her sword which, at his point, was nothing more than a hilt with half a blade, "The moment I hold her down, fire. Make it count," turning off the radio, Trish watched as Selena and Homura slowly approached each other. The vice-commander wincing as she gripped her wound, her protests went ignored by the Canoness as she and the Devil neared each other, flames and bodies surrounding them.

Her breathing hindered by a broken rib, Selena glared at Homura, clenching her sword tight. Homura stared at her, with a look that simply said, "Do it."

This was going to be her last chance to kill her. That was the look Selena could tell from Homura's expression.

Accepting this final chance, Selena charged at the Devil and swung her blade as the sword's flames reignited. It swung pass Homura's face as she simply stepped aside and in a blink of an eye, she seized Selena by the neck. Lifting her off the ground, Selena struggled to breathe in her grasp as Homura tilted her head to one side, "Why do you resist?" Homura muttered, "You're beaten. It's useless to fight. You cannot win. Yet, you continue to resist even when everything around falls... Why?"

Her sword clattering as it fell to the wet ground, the rain falling on Selena's face washed away the blood on her cheeks as Selena gasped for air. She muttered something too quiet for Homura to hear. As the Devil softened her grip on Selena's neck, the Canoness smiled, "Now!"

Then came the crack of gunfire echoing in the air.

As Selena fell to the ground, gasping for air, Homura quickly turned around and outstretched her hand, seizing the dart that was zipping straight towards her mid-air with an invisible force. As the dart halted in the air before it could hit her neck, Homura clicking her tongue disapprovingly. Selena and Trish gasped as the dart harmlessly fell to the ground, Homura kicking it towards Selena as if to mock her, "I will not fall for that again."

Without looking, Homura summoned another energy bolt and launched it at the direction it came from. It struck the building where most of the remaining Maidens had retreated into and the structure collapsed as Jade and Regina, the two Maidens protecting its entrance, watched as the entire thing came crashing down in front of them. Regina attempted to rush inside to save their wounded, but Jade held her back as the Clara Dolls slowly began to surround them.

Blood trailed down the corner of Selena's mouth as she lied on the blood-soaked granite, panting for air while she felt her wounds starting to catch up with her. Squeezing her eyelids tight, the Canoness' opened her eyes, and as she did, the Canoness got a good look of her surroundings. Only when she looked around, did she finally notice the horrors of the battle around her.

Homura's Clara dolls mercilessly cut down her fellow sisters as they fought, every single one of the Dolls undeterred by exhaustion as the Maidens fell to their accumulating wounds and overwhelming fatigue. Bodies fell everywhere. Everywhere she looked, she saw the young girls who had pledged their loyalty to her for years, lying on the ground in pools of blood, spears embedded in their bodies and all the while, their eyes remained wide with the fear they felt as they died. Among the field of corpses, Selena could spot a lone Maiden, her weapon lying on the floor as she cried and begged for the loved ones every Maiden had given up in order to become a Maiden of Battle. The air tasted stale and coppery, but Selena only realized all of this now, as she the zeal to kill the Devil that had blinded her before, faded away.

Hearing Homura's slow footsteps approach her from behind, Selena grabbed the Ripple Dart lying next to her hand and held it tight. Selena's breaths were long and heavy. As she grabbed what was left of her sword, the blade felt heavier than usual for some reason, her vision beginning to blur and her ears registering nothing but the sound of Trish calling her.

Homura stood over her, a ball of energy swirling in her hand as it grew in size like a grenade.

"It ends here."

"Selena!" Trish screamed as the vice-commander suddenly lunged at Homura from behind with a blade in hand. As Homura ducked underneath her crude swing, Homura grabbed the vice-commander by the neck, beginning to grow irritated with her as she held her above the ground and clicked her tongue in annoyance. Trish gasped for air, feeling Homura's grip beginning to snap her neck, "Se.. le... na!"

As she saw her friend make her move, Selena - in one desperate move - cracked the Ripple Dart in her hand, doused her blade with the fluids inside it and suddenly stood up. Homura was too occupied with Trish to react as Selena wordlessly thrust her broken blade into Homura's neck. As blood sprayed from Homura's mouth, the Devil then tossed away Trish like a ragdoll and flung the ball of energy in her hand at Selena out of anger.

The ball of dark energy struck Selena in the abdomen and the Canoness landed among the dead bodies of her fellow Maidens. As the Canoness bled from a large hole in her abdomen, she emptily gazed at the sky above and watched the lighting dance across the sky. Selena remembered seeing a sight like this before, before she even became a Maiden, when was just a girl that lived on the dirty streets. Closing her eyelids, Selena whispered, "Praise... the Forgotten... Savior...


	10. Chapter 9: The Fate in that Blood

The slow beeping of a heart-rate monitor echoed in his ears as Tatsuya drew the cold air into his lungs. His body sore and numb, he opened his heavy eyelids to stare at the unlit ceiling of a hospital room, _"Where am I...?" _he wondered, lifting a hand at his side to barely feel out the blanket draped over his body or the bed he lied on. Tatsuya's head felt like it was spinning in circles and his legs refused to move no matter how hard he tried, _"How did I get here...?" _Sweeping his gaze across the dark room, Tatsuya spotted a silhouette by the window.

Focusing his vision, Tatsuya took a minute to make out the silhouette's familiar nun-like robes, her long, flowing hair and her round glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose as she silently stared out the window, "Meer... Feuer...? Tatsuya managed to whisper loud enough for her to hear him.

The bespectacled girl quickly turned to him, wiping the corners of her eyes before raising her hands. They moved through the air slowly, directed to someone else in the room that Tatsuya could not see. Meer's hand signals could barely be under stood by Tatsuya, but he could at least tell what she was saying judging by the context of the situation.

"How did... Why are you here?" Tatsuya muttered, grabbing the hand-railing on the bed to help him sit upright. He rubbed the side of his head with one hand and winced as he felt out the medical wraps covering a bleeding wound.

"Please, don't move," a child-like voice ringing in his head suddenly advised, "We patched you up, but you need to rest if you want to get better."

Tatsuya could not see anyone else in the room except for Meer, the voice in his head sounding more like a hallucination than anything. Then, he noticed the small cat-like figure sitting on a chair near his bed, licking the fur on its scarred body while its large, bruised tail swayed back and forth in the air. It had a blue scarf around its neck, similar to the one Meer wore, its beady eyes suddenly making contact with Tatsuya's as the boy was lost for words.

Gripping the injury on his head, Tatsuya looked back at the 'cat' in front of him again and blinked twice, unable to recognize what kind of animal he was even looking at.

"Don't be afraid," the cat-like creature assured him, hopping onto Tatsuya's bed and scratching its ears with its hind-legs, "We brought you here. We found you injured on the road, so we decided to help; you're safe where you are."

It sounded genuinely caring, and although he was thankful for their help, Tatsuya still couldn't help but ask, "What... are you...?"

The small creature paused, seemingly thinking about its words at first. It looked back at Meer, who signed something as the cat nodded in reply. After a silent conversation Tatsuya could not understand, the small creature sighed and tried carefully explaining everything to Tatsuya as simple as possible, "My name is Nibey. You may recognize Meer here, since you two have met before. To put it bluntly, I am an 'Incubator' - one who goes around giving magical powers to those that have the potential for it, all in exchange for one wish," Nibey walked up to Tatsuya's hand and placed a paw over it, "You have that potential, too."

Tatsuya opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as he tried to process all of this nonsensical information. The more he thought, the less things made sense as all of this just made his head hurt even more. Meer and Nibey could see this frustration and tried explaining the more easier stuff.

"I, well, we came here to Mitakihara as a group of Magical Girls. We called ourselves the 'Maidens of Battle'," Nibey looked at Meer, who nodded as if he just asked another question, "We... We came here in order to find a woman by the name of Akemi Homura," that name made Tatsuya's eyes broaden in realization as he quietly repeated the name under his breath, "Do you know this woman? Have you met her?"

Tatsuya nodded, resting his head back on his pillow as memories of earlier started flooding into his hazy mind. All those bodies - the stench of smoking flesh - they were all still fresh in Tatsuya's mind as he had seen the cause of all that death hover in the rainy sky like a black god raining fire onto the city. Tatsuya covered his hand with his mouth when he felt bile rise up in his throat, unable to get over the smell of those corpses as they plagued his thoughts, "I do," he answered, placing a hand on his forehead, "I know her."

"But then you might not know what she really is underneath that human form: a Devil, an omnipotent being with a terrifying amount of power," Nibey's tone turned serious, "We - the Maidens of Battle - formed with the sole purpose of defeating her. The reason for this is that almost every Magical Girl we have recruited has had visions of a God imprisoned by a black demon. A God, a savior that calls for help as we immortalized her as our beacon of hope," the small cat looked at Meer and urged her, "Show him."

From her pocket, Meer took out what looked like some kind of small totem used for praying. Placing it in the boy's open palm, Tatsuya lifted the idol close to his face and scanned its features. Long flowing hair and wings hand-painted in the colors of blooming sakura trees, a long multi-tailed dress of snow white and a long bow in her hand, Tatsuya took a minute to perceive what he held before he suddenly dropped the idol on his lap and muttered, "... Sister?"

Meer and Nibey gasped as Tatsuya stared at the totem on his lap.

There was no doubt it. She looked exactly his sister. And with what she wore, she resembled that woman he saw in his mirror that night in place of his reflection. That unmistakable face, those tender eyes, it was his sister, Kaname Madoka, "B-But, my sister is normal... isn't she?" Tatsuya said to himself, unsure of the answer himself, "She's been like that as long as I've known her... but then...?"

"This is more serious than we thought," Nibey said to Meer, who signaled something back slowly as she nodded in response, "This explains the amount of power I've sensed within him. More powerful than anything I have ever seen. The only explanation I can guess is that you, Kaname Tatsuya, have inherited some of the powers of your sister, while the rest remain locked away by Akemi Homura. A power that could potentially even alter the fabrics of reality and time by your will alone," Nibey slowed down to try and control the awe in his voice, "That is, if you make a contract with me."

"I've seen her power..." Tatsuya whispered, handing the totem back to Meer, "Akemi Homura. I've seen what she could do... and all those bodies..."

Meer held onto her prayer totem tightly as Tatsuya wiped the sweat off his forehead with one hand. Nibey remembered finding him near the battlefield, so he wasn't surprised that the boy had a glimpse of what had happened there, "Yes. All those girls were with us," Nibey said with a pitiful voice, "We tried to attack Akemi Homura, but we failed. We had lost half of our forces there and instead of following what was left of the Maidens that ran away or pointlessly joining the battle, we found you injured on the road and now here we are."

Remaining silent for a couple of minutes to think this through, Tatsuya stared out the window of his hospital room and saw the moon hiding behind the clouds. The bright lights of the city was in view, shining amidst the dark as some even flooded into his room and shined on him. He then lowered his gaze, stared into his hands and quietly asked, "What do you intend to do with me?"

Nibey and Meer did not understand what he meant.

"What do you want me to do?" Tatsuya continued, sounding very tense all of a sudden, "You saved me, but, after telling me all of this: Akemi Homura, Magical Girls, my sister, my powers - I know you're not just going to leave me to my own devices without asking something in return," he stared at the two with a hardened gaze and Nibey was somewhat impressed by how well Tatsuya was taking all of this in, "Well?"

The bruised Incubator paused once more to discuss with Meer before answering. As their silent discussion came to an end, Nibey said, "As a rogue Incubator, I am allowed to grant wishes to anyone. Meer and I do not know what to do now, but, what we do know is that we rescued you hoping that you would help us. Help us find a way to combat Akemi Homura and free you sister, our savior," Nibey lowered his head in request as Meer remained still, "Will you help us?"

Tatsuya didn't answer for a while. Looking at the Incubator, the boy closed his eyes and thought to himself about what he should really do. He always did dream of going on an adventure, but this was something else entirely. Lives were at stake, more people could die and even he could lose his own life. But them, after seeing what Homura could do, the fact that that this peace he lived on was a mere gilded cage, he needed to something. Bringing a clenched fist to his chest, Tatsuya finally declared, "I'll do it - in return for saving my life, I'll help you in anyway I can. After seeing what Akemi had done, I can't just sit by and watch while things like this just happen and people die."

Admiring the look of determination he could see behind those eyes, Nibey and Meer could swear that Tatsuya inherited more than just his sister's powers. Like his sister, he radiated this aura of self-sacrifice uncommon for those as young as him, "Then make your wish, Kaname Tatsuya, and I shall grant you your powers. What do you desire, that will make your Soul Gem shine?"

Clasping his hands together, he held them up in a prayer and closed his eyes before whispering, "Please, grant me the will to fight... the power to help everyone I care about... the ability to harden my resolve..." and with those words, a light shined in the air, blinding Tatsuya and Meer as the bright pink light could even be seen shining out of the window. Feeling out of breath all of a sudden, Tatsuya grasped his chest, gasping for air as Nibey was amazed at how much power he could sense from the boy. Eventually, the breathless sensation went away and in the air, formed a porcelain egg-shaped gem that shined dark pink in color. Tatsuya caught it in his hand before it could fall and marveled at it as it glowed in his hands.

"This is your Soul Gem. Your source of power," Nibey explained, "But, we are not yet done. Meer, bring it over here."

As Tatsuya held his Soul Gem in his hands, Meer brought over a metal container around the size of a shoe box and fiddled with the digital lock. Two clicks here and there, the casing opened up by itself and Meer held a platinum-like gauntlet with pink beads engraved into it as a small orb was embedded in the back of its palm. Its fingertips were sharp like talons and its shining surface reflected the moonlight seeping through the window. Putting the casing aside, Meer presented it to Tatsuya and Nibey continued to explain what it was.

"This is 'The Hand'. A weapon of great power and something that only _you _can wield. Take it."

Gingerly inserting his right hand into the gauntlet as Meer held it up for him, Nibey observed as the device silently secured itself on Tatsuya's arm all by itself by seemingly shrinking to fit his size like an all-fitting glove. The gauntlet's insides were more comfortable that Tatsuya had expected and the device was actually heavier than it looked as Tatsuya held it up and curled his fingers into a fist, "What now?" he asked, the gauntlet's servos whirring with every movement of his fingertips.

"Wait," was what Nibey replied.

The Hand remained unresponsive, which visibly brought a bit of disappointment to Meer.

The orb on the back of the palm then shone with intensity that matched the sun as Tatsuya drew in a sharp breath, feeling the weapon physically bond with his arm like a living thing while Nibey and Meer stood back and gazed in awe. The Hand whirred an ear-piercing ring that threatened to crack the hospital windows and as the noise and light faded away, the two saw Tatsuya's eyes turn golden before The Hand finally turned quiet. Then, The Hand dematerialized and vanished, leaving Tatsuya's hand bare as the boy's eyes returned to their previous pink coloration.

"Amazing," Nibey silently muttered as he had nothing else to say that could describe what he was feeling, "The Hand has completely bonded with you and accepted you as its wearer. It... It worked!"

Panting for air, Tatsuya rubbed his right arm as he could not help but think of the Tarot card Meer had given him that night and what it symbolized: Hope. Was it all a coincidence, or was he really someone that could actually make a difference in this world like those he read in his books? Tatsuya heard a chain jungle in his ears and looked up to see Meer holding up his cherished pocket watch. The boy grasped the cracked object in his hands and held it tight in his grip before smiling gratefully at the bespectacled girl, "Thank you."

Simply giving an acknowledging nod, Meer then suddenly left the room and closed the door behind her, "Don't mind her," Nibey said as Tatsuya had thought he did something wrong, "She... just lost so many people she cared about in one night. She may not look like it, but she's having a hard time right now accepting that fact," Nibey sighed and leapt off Tatsuya's bed, "Well then, you should get some rest. After all this... I just hope that the Maidens are in a better place now..."

* * *

**"It ends here"**

**"Selena!"**

**"Praise... the Forgotten... Savior..."**

Selena was jolted awake by an electric that shock that ran through her body as she gasped for air and opened her eyes to stare into pitch-black darkness. Trying to move, Selena felt her arms and legs sting as they were restrained by chains that dug into her skin like coiling snakes. Lying down on what felt like a slab of metal, Selena could not tell where she was. The last thing she remembered was being fatally wounded by Akemi Homura, and then, nothing.

The air felt cold to her sweaty skin and she could at least tell that she was still alive. Then, her ears caught something faint. Closing her eyes to focus, Selena slowly made out the sound of a stack of cards being shuffled. But they stopped, and they were replaced by the sound of a low, creepy chuckle as the light above her head flashed open, stinging Selena's eyes, "You're awake. Finally," a familiar voice mused.

Reopening her eyes, Selena scowled as Akemi Homura, shuffling Meer's Tarot cards in her hand, sat a few feet away from her on an exquisite arm chair. On Homura's neck, the wound that Selena gave her had been crudely sewn shut, but didn't seem to regenerating as fast as one would expect from a God. She was wearing a purple dress that showed off her legs and the pair of amethyst earrings Homura rang in Selena's ears, "You're alive..." Selena muttered, feeling the urge to break from her restraints and finish Homura off where she sat right now.

Homura smirked, "And so are you. I guess that makes both of us surprised, huh?" she dryly said as she carefully caressed her injured neck with one hand, "You were quite lucky as well, to have survived the injury I gave you. You should be grateful, considering I saved your life."

Looking around the room she was held in, Selena's surroundings amounted to a pure white room, devoid of furniture and furnishings except for the armchair Homura sat on and the slab of metal Selena was chained to. No windows, no nothing as there wasn't event a door that she could see. It was almost as if the room was the afterlife and Selena was stuck with the Devil herself for the remainder of her stay. Sadly, it wasn't as it would have been a much preferred situation.

Selena redirected her attention to the cards in Homura's hands and felt her temper rise as Homura fiddled with her friend's possessions, "Give those back," she demanded, slowly emphasizing each word as Selena let out a low growl, but Homura simply shrugged off her demands to talk about a different subject altogether as if a child was talking to her.

Stacking the cards on the armrest, Homura crossed her legs and felt the scar on her neck with one neck as she spoke, "I must admit, you did quite well fighting me despite the fact that the odds were not in your favor; those darts and whatever that was inside of them have left me... drained, one could say. The fact that you managed to injure me to this extent was one of the reasons why I spared you."

Judging from how her wound yet to heal, Selena assumed that the Ripple vial-infused attack to her neck must have severely hampered Homura's abilities. It should have taken away most of her powers and left her human, but then again, a wound like that would have been already fatal. She must still have some control over her God abilities to an extent, or at least must be weakened to a point that she needs to use her powers to stay alive, "Flattering," Selena remarked dryly, "But you should have left me to die. You'll get nothing out of questioning me."

"Oh, I don't have to question you to get what I need," Homura assured her with a sly smile, the woman levering herself out of her chair to near the metal table Selena lied on. Running a hand on the Maiden Commander's damaged body glove, the abdomen section had a large, tattered hole which revealed the black scarring which was all that remained of Homura's near-fatal attack on her.

Selena shivered under the touch of her cold hands, unable to call forth her weapons nor her armor no matter how much she tried. As Homura gazed down upon the Maiden Commander, Homura hovered a hand above her face and suddenly, Selena felt her mind suddenly being violated as imagery of her past flashed before her eyes. As if a needle had been violently shoved into her brain, Selena grimaced and suppressed the urge to cry out in pain as the shackles bounded her trembling arms and legs. In her ears, she could hear a low-frequency metallic droning rumble.

"I see them. All of them," Homura whispered in her ear, "Every memory you've experienced, everything you have gone through until now, I see them... Hmph, so... the leader of the 'Maidens of Battle' was once a simple orphan who had nothing to lose? A girl who wanted to make a difference in the world and felt like it was her duty to save it?" she resisted the urge to laugh at such a notion, "Cute. Very cute."

Selena squirmed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, "Get out... of my... head!"

Lifting her other hand, Meer's Tarot cards floated from the armchair and neatly stacked itself in Homura's open palm, "And these belonged to a friend. A dear one that you loved so much and is... alive? Very interesting," Homura smirked at this find as the cards floated in the air, allowing Homura to read them one by one out of curiosity while continuing to assault Selena's mind. Then, Homura smile grew wider as she discovered something else, "Oh, what's this?"

A gasp escaped Selena, who's eyes widened in fear.

"Even after all these years, you... doubted your ability to lead your fellow Maidens. Despite how you act, you've always been insecure about whether you deserved to be leader, whether you could actually be a symbol of hope to your fellow sisters," Homura chuckled, lifting her hand from Selena's face and leaving the girl panting for air in cold sweat, "Seems like you fears came true. But, I can fix that insecurity problem of yours, Bismarck."

The table's chains broke apart and fell to the floor as shards of metal, leaving the girl free of her bounds. Still recovering from Homura's mind probe, Selena remained still as she felt Homura cup her chin, the Devil bringing her face close to hers as she continued smirking.

"Selena Bismarck, I offer you a once-in-a-lifetime decision to join me," Homura announced, her amethyst eyes locked with Selena's, "Join me, and you will find the comfort you've never had in your life. You'd be free from all your burdens, and, you'll be one step closer to the God you worship, oh, so much. Well? Do you accept this contract?" her tone was alluring to anyone that heard her voice, sounding like a siren who's voice seeped into her ears as Homura ran a hand through Selena's hair.

But, Homura underestimated her, as Selena replied with a low, precise: "Go to Hell..."

Homura's smirk remained on her face, but Selena could tell those words did not completely bounce off without an effect. The Devil then raised her hand and Selena's head was suddenly slammed back down on the metal table by an invisible force, Homura sighing as she then continued her mind probing, "I already have, Selena. A long, **long **time ago."

Homura then tripled the power of her assault on Selena's mind, the Maiden commander biting down on her lip as her entire life flashed before her eyes like a nightmare. Every memory she had up to his point, every horrible memory Selena could remember, Selena felt like she was reliving every single one of them at the same time over and over again; Homura would keep this up until she broke, determined to leave her as a mere shell for her to use once she was done, but once again, she underestimated the mental strength that the leader of the Maidens of Battle bore.

Selena's eyes suddenly narrowed with focus as Homura remained cautious. She slowly began to sit up, hands grabbing the table for support and with two words, Selena made Homura suddenly reel back in shock, "You're afraid," Selena muttered, the Maiden's eyes glaring at the Devil who only now realized that upon probing the memories of Selena Bismarck, she allowed her _own _memories to be free to read at the same time; an effect of the probing being a two-way tunnel between their minds, "You feel... regret... underneath all that pride and power... underneath all that ego... you... you feel regret for overthrowing your own friend..."

"Be quiet..." Homura hissed, her brow furrowing as her tone sharpened.

"Regret that your own selfish needs caused all of-"

"Be quiet!" Homura suddenly yelled, silencing the Maiden Commander as she grabbed the sides of Selena's head and unleashed the full power of her mind assault. As Homura, after a long time as an omnipotent god, showed her first display of rage, she glared deep into Selena's eyes and said, "You will not enjoy what I am about to do."

* * *

Tatsuya was woken up by the sounds of birds chirping and cars honking outside his windows as he opened up his eyes and sat upright in his bed. His head still spinning, Tatsuya looked around his hospital room and noticed that both Nibey and Meer were missing, a bit of light leaking through a gap in the curtains. Perhaps, everything that had happened last night, was all just some crazy dream? That he just had a simple bike accident and dreamt all of that on the way here? Then again, that wouldn't explain why he couldn't feel the injuries he had sustained last night.

Pushing away the blanket and swinging his legs over to the bedside, Tatsuya rubbed his feet which felt completely find. The wound on his head seemed to have healed up as well, along with the burns on his back. Then, to really confirm last night's events, Tatsuya lifted his right hand from his side and stared into his empty palm, whispering, "The.. Hand..."

In a flash, the platinum gauntlet materialized around his right forearm as those words called forth The Hand like it heard him. It weighted quite a bit on his arm, but the more he wore it, the more it felt like a physical extension of him instead of a piece of armor. Another layer of skin, one could call it, as he felt the device slowly bond with his body and become one with him. The orb on the back of the palm reflected his face and sunlight from the windows bounced off the reflective surface. A physical reminder that magic exists in this world.

Putting his feet on the cold floor, Tatsuya then heard a bunch of voices outside the door. Both arguing with each other, Tatsuya listened in closely, feeling his senses sharper and more powerful than before. He made sure that The Hand had vanished before someone could come in, too.

"I told you I'd find his room! See? It's the right one!"

"We would have gotten her sooner if you didn't piss of that nurse by flirting with her!"

Sighing to himself, Tatsuya already knew it was Jean and his sister. Looking at the bedside clock, it was already around 3 PM and school should still be going on. Jean must have left early, Tatsuya guessed, as he also wondered if Nagisa had recovered form her cold. Before he could think of anything else, Jean suddenly barged into the room as graceful as a steamroller. Dressed in his school uniform, the blonde with the messy hair still carried his rose in his breast pocket.

"There you are! Looking better already, huh?" Jean said as he walked up to the window curtains and swung them open even further to fill the entire room with sunlight.

Tatsuya covered his eyes for a second to avoid being blinded, "Yeah. I didn't get hurt that badly."

Then, following his best friend in was his sister, Isabelle-Baudin Victore. Standing a foot shorter than her brother, her hair was tied into two braids as a pair of round glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. Despite the graceful dress she wore, her tongue had a certain amount of edge and wit to it that her brother lacked, "I'm sure that's because the nurses treated him well, Jean. Girls prefer boys with modesty and patience in them, after all, instead of pushy guys."

"Hey, I-!"

"Now, you two, your arguing is going to bother the other people in the hospital," Tatsuya tried to break up their arguing before a nurse could come over and complain about them. It wouldn't be the first time if they would get kicked out somewhere for arguing, really, but Tatsuya had already last night's events to give him a headache and didn't need anymore.

Adjusting her glasses with one hand, Belle and Jean simply stopped talking to each other for the next few minutes. Belle took the bag she was holding in her arm and opened it up as she approached Tatsuya, "Now, for why we're here, I brought you some lunch. I made it this morning, since I'm sure you'd take it over the hospital food they're serving here."

"**We **brought you food," Jean reminded her, leaning on the wall with folded arms, "And I did all the work!"

As if she didn't hear him, Belle didn't reply and simply put out a small box of lunch, a basket of bread and butter, and a canned drink on the small table beside Tatsuya's bed. Tatsuya could already smell the food from here and it made his stomach grumble already. Belle handed the boy a pair of chopsticks and he graciously accepted them, "Thank you. Both of you," he said, splitting apart the chopsticks and clasping his hands together before eating, "You guys always did well when it comes to cooking."

"You're very much welcome," Belle said with a hint of pride in her smile, "Now, if you two need me, I'll be meeting up with a friend of mine in the city to do some shopping," she zipped up the bag and left it on the bedside table before turning to her brother, "I'll be buying some groceries and should be home around 7. Don't eat any junk food before dinner, please," with that, she then bowed before leaving and left the room without another word, Jean letting out a tired sigh the moment she was out the room.

"You two need to work on not bickering all the time," Tatsuya commented as he happily ate his warm food.

Jean gave a short chuckle, holding up the rose from his breast pocket and twirling it in his hand as he marveled his sister's gift, "I guess. But, we don't really mind doing this, actually. Belle and I find it fun, since it's what makes being siblings a blast. No matter what that girl does, I'll be there when she needs me," Jean paused when he saw Tatsuya staring at him with a raised brow and realized that he was getting sappy, "B-Besides, she can take care of herself! On the other hand, though, I heard Nagi's been getting better. You should visit her, since she gets lonely, after all."

"Of course, of course," Tatsuya said before swallowing his food.

The two then heard a knock on the door and Jean opened it up to see Kaname Madoka, having got off from work early, standing in the doorway with a loose tie and her suitcase in hand. The older Kaname greeted the two in her usual, cheery voice and looked relieved to see Tatsuya all fine and well, but Tatsuya could tell something was not right as she looked absolutely exhausted, "You alright, Kaname?" Jean noticed her fatigue as well, "You look beat."

"Oh, I'm fine. Work was just a bit more tiring than usual, that's all," Madoka giggled, waving off their worries and wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. Walking in, she sat next to Tatsuya's bed and leaned forward in her chair, her suitcase sitting by her foot, "How are you feeling, Tatsuya?"

"I'm alright," Tatsuya tried to hide the worry in his voice and retained his calm tone. Looking closely at his sister, her face looked pale and she looked like she hadn't slept for nights despite looking the opposite yesterday. Tatsuya forced a smile to avoid his expression from giving away his thoughts and wondered if this had anything to do with this sister's true power.

* * *

In the hospital's main lobby, Meer absent-mindedly watched the hands of the wall clock tick away as she placed her glasses in her pocket and wiped her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand. Meer did not count how long she had been sleeping her last night, her eyes still sore red and her throat all dried up after an unknown amount of time crying. Bringing her legs to her chest, Meer stared at the marble floors, her Maiden robes already dried up from the rain as it clung to her body. The only thing thing that showed that she was a Maiden of Battle. Was.

Aside from the receptionist at the front desk, the lobby was completely deserted. Nibey having gone off for a few minutes to check the place around and watch out for anyone suspicious, Meer sat alone among a row of chairs.

She couldn't sleep anymore. Each time Meer closed her eyes, the sight of that burning battlefield in the distance flashed before her like a reoccurring nightmare. She had received a good look of how Hell was like last night, and Meer did nothing but run away like Merry and the reserve unit did. Meer wondered if she would be accepted back to the Maidens if she returned to the mansion. Surely, someone could try and persuade the group to let her be a part of them again.

Wiping her eyes again, Meer then threw away that pathetic thought. It was pointless. She was no longer a Maiden and that was it. There was no going back now that Merry was in charge. Since she ran mostly through fear and abuse, not even instructors Margaret and Madeline could do anything about it.

Meer felt her stomach growl and placed a hand over her abdomen. She hadn't gotten anything to eat in hours and she had no cash on her to buy anything. All she had were the clothes on her back. Despite this, Meer looked at a nearby vending machine not too far away from her and got off her chair to drag herself towards the machine. She eyed the food behind the glass and desperately fiddled her pockets for anything that she could use.

Luckily, her sharp eyes spotted a few small quarters at the base of the machine and quickly dug them up to insert them into the coin slot, dirtying her hands a bit before she cleaned them with her robes. Meer picked out something called '_taiyaki_' and sat back in her seat as she greedily gorged on the snack. It tasted of red beans, cheap, but good enough for her as eating always did make her feel better. She needed everything she could get to erase that night from her memory.

Licking her fingers clean when she was done, the small snack gave her a bit of satisfaction at least. She brought her legs to her chest again and placed her glasses back on, wondering when Nibey was going to come back.

She heard a couple of footsteps after a while, and then, a familiar voice, "Meer?"

The bespectacled girl looked aside to see Tatsuya and that French friend of his. But then, Meer's eyes turned wide with awe as behind the two, stood the venerated Goddess that inspired the Maidens of Battle herself: The Forgotten Savior. Her long, pink hair, that graceful smile, she looked just like how Meer saw her in her visions, aside from the lack of her golden, radiant eyes and the snow white dress she wore.

Meer stood up without knowing as the Forgotten Savior approached her. Too stunned to even do anything, the Goddess smiled at her and said, "So, you're the one that found my brother?" her question managed to get a slow nod in response from Meer and she giggled, "Thank you, umm, Meer, was it? I'm Kaname Madoka, would you like to stay at our place for dinner? In return for saving my brother."

Feeling as if she was unworthy of such kindness, Meer looked at Tatsuya who urged her to accept this offer. Meer quickly nodded in reply and a small smile came to her face as she twiddled her fingers together. To stand in front of the Forgotten Savior herself, and to be invited into her home, Meer almost forgot what she was going to do until she saw Nibey coming into the lobby through a window behind Tatsuya. Meer then gave Tatsuya a look, one that basically said, "We need to talk," and he caught on quickly.

"Sis', Jean, We'll meet you both in the car," Tatsuya said to them, "I need to talk with Meer for a bit."

"Sure," Jean replied.

"Don't take too long," Madoka added.

As the two left them alone, Meer saw Nibey head over to them and the scarred Incubator hopped onto the bespectacled girl's shoulder. Meer petted him on the head and the Incubator appreciated the gesture, "Well now, I don't see anyone that could be tracking us, so far. Tatsuya, we need to be quick, so I'm not gonna beat around the bush anymore, alright?"

Tatsuya understood him and nodded, "What do you need me to do?"

Meer signaled something to Nibey, her hands sharply cutting the air like knives as Tatsuya wondered how Nibey could understand all of that in a short time, "Good point, Meer," Nibey agreed with whatever Meer had just signed and looked back at Tatsuya, "We need you to find someone that could know about Homura's true nature. We need information before we do anything, after all. The Hand - at low power - can erase things like memory wipes and with that, do you know anyone that could have known about Homura before?"

Thinking about who they should start with, Tatsuya thought of his sister's best friends first. He picked them out, until Nagisa came into Tatsuya's mind. Since doing it to his sister might be too risky and could prematurely blow their cover, starting with someone like Nagisa should be a good start. He was already planning on visiting her, so a quick stop at her place wouldn't seem suspicious at all if Homura was trying to find them, "Alright. I think I know someone we could see first."

* * *

Nagisa let out a long yawn and then stuffed her mouth with a block of cheese as she lied down on her bed and threw the empty cheese wrapper into trash can. Wrinkled clothing strewn across the floor and on her computer chair, despite Mami having told her to clean up her room, Nagisa lazily rolled across her bed while her thick blanket covered her body like a warm cocoon. Her trash can was already overflowing with empty cheese wrappers, but Nagisa still didn't care as she scratched her back and groaned at how bored she was right now.

Mami was still at work, there was nothing good on TV, Nagisa's bike was busted and she was still recovering from her flu. What else was there to do besides laze around and listen to some Beatles?

The doorbell rang and Nagisa spent the next 5 minutes just trying to get out of her bed before the doorbell rang again and finally got her to move. Putting on some clothes and opening her room door, Nagisa headed down the decorated hallways of the apartment as pictures of her and Mami adorned the colorful walls. Yawning again, Nagisa unlocked the door and beamed when she saw Tatsuya unharmed and well, "Tatsu! You're back!" she greeted him with a big hug that threatened to strangle the life out of him. When she realized he couldn't breathe, she released him and Tatsuya gasped for air before speaking.

"Hey Nagi," Clearing his throat, Tatsuya's tone had a slight tension to it. Nagisa quickly noticed this as the boy fiddled with a strand of his dark pink hair. She already knew something was up in mere seconds just by his body language alone, "Do you mind if we talk for a bit? It's important."

Curious, The two entered the apartment and Nagisa gazed down the hall outside both ways before closing the door and locking it. In the living room, Tatsuya sat at the triangular, glass table, sitting down on a soft cushion as the afternoon light shined through the large windows behind him. Nagisa brought him some of Mami's tea and placed a pot and cup on the table.

"Can you close the curtains?" Tatsuya asked as Nagisa poured the tea.

"Oh, sure," Nagisa paused before nodding. She flicked a switch on the wall nearby and the room darkened considerably as the curtains blocked out the sunlight. Sitting across the table, Nagisa handled Tatsuya his drink and watched as the boy seemed to be in thought. She scanned his expression, but Nagisa couldn't guess what was on his mind this time. Was it about the fact that her bike broke in an accident? Tatsuya looked too serious for something as trivial as that, since he knew that she wouldn't mind it so much compared to Mami.

"Nagi," Tatsuya finally spoke, setting down his tea cup, "I... Promise me that no matter what happens next, you will not freak out or scream."

She tilted her head to one side and gave a small shrug, "Okay?"

Letting out a slow exhale, Tatsuya stood up and held up his right hand. He looked nervous from what he was about to do and Nagisa didn't know what to expect, "Here we go... The Hand..." he murmured, before a white light suddenly enveloped his right hand and blinded Nagisa as a high-pitched whine rang in her ears before dying down in mere seconds. Still standing, Tatsuya's arm was suddenly encased in a silvery, metal gauntlet as a pink orb shimmered on the back of his palm.

"W-What is that?" Nagisa hesitantly asked, noticing the gauntlets immensely sharp fingertips, "This i-is a magic trick, right?" Nagisa nervously laughed.

"Calm down, Nagi. I need you to stand still. Trust me," Tatsuya's words didn't really ease her as he walked up to her and hovered his metal palm over her face. She could see her nervous expression reflect on the gauntlet's metal surface, "This might sting a little," he said as his other hand held Nagisa by her neck tightly and felt her tremble in his grip.

"W-What are you-?" she was cut off as Tatsuya suddenly grabbed her forehead and Nagisa felt her vision blur as her mind went hazy. As the orb built into the metal gauntlet shone brightly enough to light up the entire room, things flashed before Nagisa's eyes as events of another time and another universe locked deep within her mind for years were finally set free. But, the sheer feeling of all these memories flooding her mind all at once was like the water inside of dam being breaking loose, as it proved too much and when Tatsuya finally released her, Nagisa quickly blacked out and fell to the floor on her back.

Once she awoke, Nagisa found herself lying on the sofa as Tatsuya and that mute girl with the glasses stood in her apartment, waiting for her to wake up. Looking around, the sight of a scarred Incubator sitting on her coffee table made her mind kick into gear. Still groggy, Nagisa clenched the side of her head and groaned as she sat up, the three noticing her as Tatsuya was the first to speak, "How are you feeling?"

Nagisa felt like she was going to hurl as she cupped her mouth with one hand. Although the process had unlocked her memories altogether, Nagisa felt more like her memories were scattered and far apart, as she had difficulty sorting each memory and differentiating them apart between the ones of the past and those of the present. But, what she _did _remember, was the true form of Akemi Homura and what she had done to Madoka's God powers. Looking at Meer and Nibey, she didn't even know where to begin and was going to start asking questions before Tatsuya cut her off.

"It's a long story, Nagi," Tatsuya said, crouching down next to her and placing a hand on her shoulder, "Right now, we need information about Homura. Do you know anything about her? Or anyone that might know?"

Rubbing her forehead, Nagisa closed her eyes to try and think of someone that did know about Homura's true abilities and who they should see first. Then, she looked at Tatsuya and grabbed him by the shoulders as she carried an urgent tone in her voice, "We need to see Sayaka."


	11. Chapter 10: Arc 2 - Journey Back in Time

Popping open a nice, cold beer from the fridge, Sayaka dropped herself onto her living room couch, turned on the television and took a swig of her beer as the teacher finally got some time to relax. Taking a break before checking on the assignments she had collected from her students, her housemate Kyouko had gone off to buy some groceries for dinner. Although Sayaka suspected that she was going to buy a lot more than what they needed again, she was too tired to buy them herself and had sent of Kyouko without another care.

Sayaka nearly spilled her drink laughing as Monty Python and the Holy Grail was on TV again. Unable to hold back her laughter, Sayaka was breathless as she enjoyed her break. That is, until the doorbell rang and the teacher took 3 minutes to gain the will to get off her couch as the doorbell continued to ring. Groaning that it better not be another door-to-door salesman, she put her beer on the coffee table, turned off the TV and unlocked the front door to the curious sight and arrival of Tatsuya and Nagisa.

"What are you two doing here?" Sayaka looked at her wall-clock and saw that it was a quarter to 6 o'clock, "Madoka and Mami are going to be worried if you don't get back before dinner, you know?" she reminded them of their usual curfew she leaned on the doorway with a hand on her hip.

"We need to talk for a bit," Tatsuya said, his hands folded behind his back.

"It's important," Nagisa insisted, her tone sounding a lot more serious than what she would expect of her.

Since Kyouko wasn't going to be back for at least half an hour longer and it sounded urgent, Sayaka simply shrugged and let the two inside. Closing the door behind them, Sayaka sat back on her sofa and picked up her beer again, "So, what's so important that you came all the way here?" after taking another swig and hearing a soft ring behind her, she looked back at the two to stare dumbfounded at the reflective sheen of a platinum gauntlet in her face, her beer still at her lips, "Ummm..."

"We're **really** sorry about this," Nagisa said with an apologetic bow before Tatsuya suddenly grasped Sayaka's forehead.

* * *

Merry Clover let out a growl of rage and frustration as she struck the wall of the Maidens of Battle's mansion with her fists. Gritting her teeth, Merry looked around the bloodied hallways and corridors and saw whatever was left of the Maidens tending to the wounded mansion guards. Countless Maidens lied on stretchers, screaming in pain and grasping severed limbs, apothecaries with limited supplies tending to their injuries while those that didn't make it lied in gathering body bags being blessed by the priestesses before burial. As time went on, the amount of body bags began to grow in number, even if not every bag had much in them to bury.

To think that the Devil would attack the mansion at the same time as the battle, Merry thought to herself. Just how much could the Devil control and see? From the reports given by the guards that weren't shell-shocked and traumatized, the mansion had been struck by a wave of Familiars unlike any other. The fighting already stopped before Merry and the reserve unit having returned, Merry wondered why a 2nd wave had not been sent to finish them off yet.

The walls of the mansion were filled with holes, scorch marks and bloodied hand and footprints. Large craters decorated the floors as the windows were boarded up, what's left of their snipers now guarding the mansion for any signs of a 2nd wave with their spotters checking every single direction without rest. Once she was done venting, Merry approached Madeline, who was tending to her sister Margaret's wound in a corner. The two Maiden instructors had been injured pretty badly, but it didn't seem to hinder them, "Taylor, give me an update on the situation."

Tightening the straps on Margaret's burn wounds, Madeline wiped the sweat off her face and told her sister to rest before standing back up to answer, "Over half of the mansion's forces are either dead of wounded, Clover. Most of our gear and supplies are exhausted, the girl's are beginning to panic, the defenses have been compromised and-" she tried to control her shaking arms, "We've just received word that the remaining Maidens arriving from Germany have been massacred by an army of unknown Familiars. They sent us a message for help, but... they haven't responded to our messages."

Merry curled her hands into fists and bit her lip, "Goddamit..." not knowing what to do next, with their morale at an all time low and no one to boost it, Merry pocketed her hands and turned on her heel to walk down the crowded hallways of the mansion. She passed by the countless, reeking body bags, the floor sticky with blood and the air tasted of copper.

She walked until she had reached the lobby and the Maiden sat at the top of the staircase leading to the front door below. The rays of sun poking through the holes in the walls lit the living room as even the power had been cut off from last night's battle. Only God knows how long they would last without power or even running water. Taking out a cigarette from her pocket, Merry lit the tip with a match she had and inhaled the smoke as if she had nothing else to lose.

Right now, she could actually just ditch the place and run off before anyone would even notice her or the next wave would arrive. The only reason she joined the Maidens in the first place was just to survive anyway, and staying here would mean dying a slow, horrible death. She wasn't stupid enough to die for someone that they don't even know truly exists or not. Looking down the lobby with her cig' between her fingers, Merry saw the Maidens at the door point out the window at something, muttering to each other.

"What's going on?" Merry shouted at the two Maidens, getting up to walk down the staircase.

"There's someone outside!"

Merry raised her brow as the two Maidens at the entrance opened up the barred double-doors to reveal a young, barefooted girl covered in black, tattered robes. The girl collapsed in the arms of one of the Maidens and the two struggled to keep her awake.

But Merry felt a chill up her spine. Her instincts told her something was very wrong and in all her life, her primal gut feelings had never failed to tell her when danger was close. Behind her back, Merry materialized one of her revolvers into her grip and switched off the safety, "Who's the girl? What's she doing here?"

The two Maidens turned back at her to answer, only for one of them to gasp in shock as a steel, black blade suddenly impaled her through the chest and exited out of her back in mere seconds. The shrouded girl didn't even let the other Maiden next to her react as she immediately pulled out her blade and slashed her across the throat in a blur, blood spraying onto the walls behind her.

"Fuck!" Merry swung out her revolver and shot at the cloaked girl twice as the two dead Maidens dropped to the floor. The shrouded girl stepped aside and the bullets harmlessly zipped pass her face, but Merry smirked as with her magic, her bullets curved mid-air and redirected their trajectory to charge at the unknown attacker's back, "Gotcha, Bitch!"

Without looking, the cloaked girl suddenly swatted away the bullets with her blade and they ricocheted into the floor.

Merry gasped, her arms and legs beginning to shake as the cloaked figure slowly climbed up the steps of the mansion towards her, wringing her blade to get the blood off. Having not seen combat outside of training and practice rounds, this made Merry's blood run cold, "S-Stay away from me, you freak!" she fired again, but her bullets were just cleaved into pieces mid-air and fell to the floor. Her revolver chamber now empty, Merry tried to run back up the stairs, only for the cloaked girl to suddenly appear in front of her, cleave off her feet by the ankles and boot her in the ribs.

She tumbled down the stairs until she landed next to the two dead Maidens and was soaked in the pool of blood they had created. Merry broke into a cold sweat that mixed with the blood on her face and began panting hard. She couldn't even feel the pain in her legs through all the shock. As she tried to crawl towards the door, she could hear the footsteps of the girl growing louder, her heart beating fast the closer she got. As Merry heard the mansion's alarm blare in her ears, she felt the blunt pommel of a blade knock her out cold.

_"... Wake up..."_

Merry slowly began to come to, her body heavy and her limbs numb.

_"... Wake up..."_

The alluring voice continued to call to her, slowly awakening the Maiden, until Merry suddenly felt a hard foot drive into her stomach, causing her to wake up from the immense pain as she coughed out blood and cried out in agony. Opening her eyes, they widened in terror as Merry drew in a sharp breath.

Sitting on an ornate chair in front of her was Akemi Homura, her legs folded and her chin on her hand as she stared down on Merry with an uninterested glare. A black, silk scarf draped around her neck, the dark room they were in was lit only by candlesticks with flickering flames as Merry lied on the ground. She was chain to the floor by her neck, her hands cuffed and when she looked at her feet, the bleeding stumps her legs ended at had been crudely sealed by medical wraps. Merry her eyes beginning to water, fear and confusion stirring her mind.

"Good work," Homura said to someone else in the room, "You've done well."

From the corner of her eye, Merry finally saw the cloaked figure that had attacked the mansion now standing above her. But instead of a person, Merry felt like she was staring at something inhuman as her attacker wore a black, sleek suit of armor, donning a helmet with a red visor that bore an invasive gaze which dug into Merry's soul. Her swords rested on her hip, not yet cleaned of the blood it had spilled possibly moments ago. When Merry even tried to utter a sound, the black knight silenced her with a swift kick to the face this time that forced tears from the girl and possibly shattered her jaw.

"Quite the aggressive one, isn't she?" Homura mused as she twirled a strand of her hair in her fingers and looked at her servant, "Report."

The black knight knelt down on one knee and lowered her head in respect. Then, came a voice that Merry had heard for many years: the voice of the Maiden Canoness, Selena Bismarck, leader of the Maidens of Battle, "I've captured the remaining Maidens, as you requested. But, I did not find Priestess Meer Feuer, the Incubator, nor the dimensional device. I assume they are now acting on their own and are in the city as we speak."

Despite her tone now sounding like a soulless automaton, Merry could tell, it was Selena. Everything about her had been mutated into a perverse version of the Maiden Commander entirely and Merry shrieked as the black knight glared at her. She couldn't even feel the pain in her jaw through all the things processing in her mind right now and as she lied in front of the two people she feared the most, Merry wished she had died in the mansion earlier.

Homura tented her fingers in thought, "If they are acting on their own, then we must find them quickly - go the household of Jean-Baudin Victore. He, aside from two others, are suspected of having made contact with your friend a few nights ago. Interrogate him first," the black knight rose and then quietly left to carry our her duties, leaving the bleeding Maiden on the floor all alone with Homura. Merry shrunk under those red eyes as she felt like she was being undressed. No matter how comforting or how alluring Homura tried to sound, Homura's mere voice utterly terrified her, "I have a proposal for you, Merry Clover."

* * *

On the drive back to the Kaname household, Sayaka was suffering from a splitting headache as she tried to absorb all the information Tatsuya was telling her. Things about the Maidens of Battle, The Hand, Meer and Nibey, the fact that he had inherited his sister's abilities, Sayaka merely nodded as he went on, even whether she understood what she had heard or not. Sayaka and Tatsuya sat in the back, discussing all of this while Nagisa drove, her own headache slowly going away but her memories still trying to piece themselves together.

"To think that an entire religion was based around Madoka. Unbelievable," Sayaka groaned, trying to endure the pain of a hundred memories sorting themselves out in her head.

At the front, Tatsuya could see that Nagisa was going through the same thing as she quietly focused on the road. It was odd to see her so silent, but Tatsuya knew they both had a lot to sort out right now. Sayaka had sent a text to Kyouko before they left that she would be out for a bit, and in a few minutes, the car finally arrived at Tatsuya's house where Meer and Nibey waited for them. The sun had already began to set in the distance, painting the streets with yellow light as descended into the horizon.

"You sure we can trust them?" Sayaka asked as she got out of the car, waving off Tatsuya's offer to help her to her feet.

Tatsuya gave a confident nod and fetched his house keys from his pocket, "We can."

He opened the front door and Tatsuya announced his entry per the norm. They could hear Madoka welcoming him back from the kitchen and from there, Meer came out wearing a borrowed apron and some oven mitts that looked a bit too big for her. She was most likely helping Madoka with dinner, judging from the food stains and smears on her face that Meer didn't seem to mind.

"Meer, this is Sister Miki. She'll be helping us," Tatsuya introduced the young adult with a headache behind him to her, "Meet up in my room with Nibey, alright?"

Taking off the apron and wiping off the stains with a tissue, Meer nodded and went back into the kitchen to place them back before heading up the stairs to his room. Nagisa followed her after a quick gesture from Tatsuya, both him and Sayaka heading into the kitchen first to do a quick check-up on Madoka for a bit before they head upstairs as well.

In the kitchen, Madoka was stirring a pot of hot stew on the stove with a ladle, wearing a set of home clothes under a apron as she hummed to herself. She turned back to the two and greeted them with a smile, "What are you doing here, Sayaka? Had a fight with Kyouko again?" she asked in a playful tone. Putting down the ladle to fetch some bowls, Madoka acted indifferent despite the pale-ish tone of her skin and the dark rings growing under her eyes. Madoka looked worse than she did this afternoon, but she didn't seem to notice nor care at all.

"Oh, I'm just here to help Tatsuya here with some schoolwork," Sayaka faked a smile and laughed, patting the young boy beside her on the head as he too tried his best to not look worried, "I'm just going to be here for a bit before I head back, alright?"

"Sure!"

Walking out to head up to Tatsuya's room on the 2nd floor, Sayaka sighed to herself, "How long has she been like that?" she whispered to Tatsuya.

"Ever since this afternoon," Tatsuya replied in a resigned tone, his shoulders dropping, "She's getting worse by the hour."

"Then we gotta hurry. I'm not sure what's going on with Madoka, but we have to fix everything else first before anything else happens."

Tatsuya nodded at her statement and the two entered his room where Nagisa, Meer and Nibey were waiting for them. Nagisa had shut the curtains closed and switched on a nearby lamp for light, Meer looking like she had been keeping an eye out for any of Homura's servants as they sat in the dimly-lit room. But to Sayaka, the simple sight of an Incubator waiting on a table in front of her ignited something within her as Tatsuya locked the door behind them.

"Welcome back," the Incubator with a scarf said to Tatsuya, "Who's this?"

"She's a friend of my sister, Nibey. She knows a lot about Homura, so-"

"Incubator," Sayaka addressed Nibey, giving him a cold stare that Meer didn't appreciate, "Can I ask you something first, before we start?"

Unsure of her intentions, Nibey gestured to Tatsuya and Meer that he didn't mind her asking and simply replied with a nonchalant, "Sure."

Sayaka dragged over and straddled a nearby chair while Tatsuya and Nagisa sat on the bed. Meer was sitting on the floor with Nibey now on her lap. Rubbing her aching forehead with two fingers, Sayaka then proceeded to basically question the Incubator, "Look, you _are _helping us without any other goals in mind, right? No secret plans? No experiments? I know you need our help, but the last time your race tried doing a science project, it ended up creating this world and the all-powerful demon controlling it in the first place."

Nagisa nodded in agreement, remembering about the whole fiasco with the Incubators and them trying to trap Homura in a dream world to lure out Madoka, "Can we really trust you?"

Nibey felt all eyes in the room move onto him as they waited for his answer. But, the Incubator didn't even flinch from this sudden interrogation. He fully expected that they were going to doubt his loyalty, "I admit - I am not doing this, thinking that it will suddenly make you forgive us for what we've done all these centuries. It would be nice. But no. I'm just doing this because, well, it's the right thing to do. This was a choice I made myself, after receiving these... 'emotions'," Nibey shook his head, wondering if he could really call them that, "I understand if you hold a grudge on me, but, I will say here and now that I'm here to help. I came to you all of my own will, not under the orders of my race. That's a promise."

There was a moment of silence as Tatsuya watched Nagisa and Sayaka decide about Nibey's trustworthiness. Meer patted the Incubator on the head, happy to hear what he just said. Nibey himself was surprised by his own words, as it was nothing he had really done before. After a few whispers to each other, they shared a nod and Sayaka came to the conclusion, "Alright. Fine. We trust you. Well, only you and not the rest of your kind, at least."

Happy to hear her response, Nibey sighed in relief, "Thank you."

"Now then," Tatsuya started, "With that out of the way, let's begin."

And so, for the next half an hour, they decided on just how they were going to fight back against the Devil with the resources they had at their disposal. With just three Puella Magi - two of which have had most of their combat skills atrophied over the peaceful years - one Puerum Magi with little experience and one device with an immense but untested power, they tried to come up with a plan to strip Homura of her powers and free Madoka's godlike form from her prison.

Their best chance was The Hand, a device that could send people back in time and even send them into different dimensions. But, with a device that has never seen use, and not to mention a untested prototype at that, the group had saved it as a last resort as and tried seeking a more feasible plan. It was too risky as well to take on Homura while she practically sat with the world in her grasp. With no army to back them up either, bringing in Mami and Kyouko would barely even out their chances as the efforts of the Maidens of Battle had proven.

In the end, they came up with nothing and they decided to take a break from all the planning for a bit.

Feeling a bit hungry, Tatsuya came down from his room to see if dinner was ready, "Sis', you need any help down there?" he called to her as he went down the stairs, to no reply, "Sister?" he called again once more, to hear nothing in return. Tatsuya began to get worried, and when he heard the sudden loud crash of ceramic shattering on the floor, Tatsuya rushed down the stairs and straight into the kitchen, "Sister!"

Madoka lied unconscious on the floor next to a few shattered plates, barely even breathing as Tatsuya cradled her in his arms and felt his stomach churn, "Sister Miki, get over here!"

The others came rushing down the stairs and Sayaka was overridden with panic as Madoka didn't even react to anything they tried. Nibey could sense a disturbing amount of magic emanating from the older Kaname sibling and as Sayaka continued to try and wake Madoka up, Nagisa had taken out her cell phone and called an ambulance to hurry over. When it finally arrived, Nagisa and Sayaka went with them to the hospital, leaving a worried Tatsuya and Meer behind in the house.

* * *

After a small talk with the Maiden of Battle, Merry Clover, Homura had sent the girl to be confined for the meantime before retiring to her personal chambers in her mansion to rest. All the work she had done so far had expended much of the little energy she had left, irritating, as this would have been effortless to her had Selena Bismarck had not wounded her. Homura entered her chambers as the double doors opened up by themselves, she lied down on her queen-sized bed and extinguished the candles around her with a clap of her hands.

Homura rolled onto her back and caressed her neck, feeling out the stitches that held the wound shut. Simply talking was difficult, not that she would ever showed it. She didn't need to expose any weakness, "Selena Bismarck," the name tasted stale to her tongue and made her wound irritated. Her brow furrowed, Homura turned her head to look out of her balcony window, seeing the red, churning sea outside as lightning flashed in the skies. The streaks of light lit her room at random, and as Homura felt restless, she got off her bed stood in front of her mirror to closely examine her neck wound.

Her purple scarf hung on a rack nearby, next to her red ribbon.

How long will this take to heal, she wondered. As long as she had this, her power was limited and this wound was like physical evidence of the weakness she still bore. A crack in her unbreakable image of the Devil she had been for a decade already. Staring into her reflection, Homura felt disgusted with how she had let her guard down.

_ "You're afraid... You feel... regret... underneath all that pride and power... underneath all that ego... you... you feel regret for overthrowing your own friend..."_

Homura raised her hand to shatter her mirror out of anger, but she held herself back. Lowering a raised fist, Homura inhaled the cold air, letting it all out as she listened to the waves churning outside her mansion.

Then, Homura felt a disturbance.

With a wave of her hand, Homura conjured an image on the mirror, and in it, Homura gasped at the sight of an unconscious Madoka as she lied on a hospital bed, "M-Madoka?" her hand hovered towards the image, her mouth gaping open in shock as she then threw away the image and reeled backwards, "How...?"

The crackling of lighting snapped Homura out of her shock and the woman immediately straightened her mind to theorize about what happened.

Homura sat down in her bed, and after minutes of thinking, she finally realized it: This was an effect of Madoka's godlike form trying to reach out to her weaker, mortal body. Madoka had lived all her life without her powers, and with the wound that Selena gave her sealing away most of Homura's powers, her grip that held back Madoka's godlike form had weakened, slowly beginning to slip. The remainder of her abilities were clawing at Madoka to keep her sealed, and at the same time, were also harming Madoka's mortal form in the process. Homura had not expected like this to happen so soon.

"Was it all worth it?" a voice suddenly rang in her head.

A scowl grew on Homura's face. Slowly turning aside, Homura glared at her mirror, but in it was not her own reflection. Instead, there stood the image of a woman her age, her hair tied into black braids as a pair of red-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. It was Akemi Homura, but at the same time, it wasn't; an image of what she could have been, had she not entered the world of Witches and Puella Magi, "You again," Homura hissed, "Come to torment me once more?"

"You know why I'm here," her reflection said, her sharp glare matching Homura's, "You know how to help Kaname recover."

Slowly arising from her bed, Homura's earrings jangled as she slowly approached the mirror, fatigue and exhaustion present in her mannequin-like movements, "You don't know what you're talking about," Homura retorted, "It's because of the fact that I sealed Madoka's powers away that Madoka has now lived all her life in peace. I did nothing wrong. I gave everyone a chance to be happy. They should be grateful I gave them all a chance to live a happier life."

"By sealing them in a gilded cage?" the reflection scoffed, shaking her head at Homura's notion, "If your world was so 'perfect', something like the Maidens of Battle wouldn't have assembled against you. You... You have to let Kaname go... You're hurting her. Your own love for Kaname is affecting her and you knew full well that something like this would have happened one day," her reflection's words bore a sense of righteousness never once seen in her old self. It was as if Miki Sayaka had infected her with that sense of 'justice'.

Homura snickered, feeling her throat burn with agony the more she spoke, "Why should I? Why?!" she suddenly blared, causing her reflection to flinch, "I-I had gone through so much for Madoka... So much pain... You were there. You saw what I went through just to save her and you know how much she means to me. To us. She was the only reason why we kept going back!" she felt the corners of her eyes sting, her hand dragging down the side of her face as Homura's voice cracked, "I don't care if it's the right thing to do. Madoka is mine...! I want to make her happy and I'm not letting her go ever again!"

Her reflection frowned, looking as if she was pitying the sight in front of her but was unable to sympathize. Turning her back to Homura, she gave one last ultimatum, "It's your decision. Continue this false dream and risk Kaname's safety, or give it all up, free her... and at the same time, finally free yourself from your own torment. This wasn't the first time you've lived in a dream world. Please, look at what happened after that."

Homura blinked and then, she was gone. She stared back at her own reflection instead and scowled at the pathetic sight reflecting back at her on the glass. Getting up, Homura released a berserk cry before flinging a ball of energy at the mirror. Glass shards flew everywhere and nothing but a smoking hole in the wall and bits of ash on the floor remained of her now-damaged floor. Homura collapsed on her knees, glass shards embedded in her skin, as she suppressed the urge to even shed one, single tear.

"Madoka..."

* * *

Back at the Kaname household, Tatsuya and Meer quietly ate in the kitchen as they waited for any sort of call from Sister Miki or Nagi. All too worried for his sister, Tatsuya couldn't even find the appetite to eat, leaving his bowl half-finished and most of side-dishes untouched. Tatsuya put down his chopsticks and sighed. He looked at Meer across the table and she ate as if she hand not gotten any food for days.

Nibey was lying down on a chair nearby, licking his bruised paws since he had just finished his food.

"Meer, you want seconds? I'm not hungry right now," his offer got a meek nod in response and he pushed his food towards her before getting up to wash his utensils. At the sink, Tatsuya was washing his chopsticks when he heard the living room phone ring. He put away the chopsticks to dry them off and Nibey hopped onto his shoulder as he went to the living room. He picked up the phone and on the other line was Sister Miki, "How is she?" Tatsuya asked, sitting on a sofa as Nibey hopped onto a nearby table instead. He got worried when he didn't hear Sister Miki answer for a few seconds.

"The doctors say she isn't looking good... She's stuck in a coma, so they placed her in Intensive Care for now. Tatsuya, we've got no choice. We have to make our move now before Madoka's condition gets worse."

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

There was a pause, "We go back in time and prevent Homura from becoming a Puella Magi."

Tatsuya hesitated, grimacing as he stared into the palm of his right hand, "We have no choice, do we?"

"No. We don't. I know that you're still learning the ins-and-outs of that gauntlet, and I know that his could potentially screw up everything... but this our best shot. We can't take on Homura directly; she's too strong. Even with Madoka's powers deep inside you, this is our only choice. Do you understand? This isn't about stopping Homura anymore. It's about saving Madoka."

Sister Miki's words made him curl up his hands tight. Closing his eyes, Nibey saw a determined glare suddenly grow on Tatsuya's face. It was the same expression Nibey saw when he made his contract last night and it was as awe-inspiring as it was before, "Alright. We'll do it. We prepare to leave tomorrow. If it's to save my sister... then I'll do anything to see her healthy again."

"Atta' boy. But, it's all up to you, Nagisa and Meer. I can't go back, Tatsuya. I need to watch over Madoka and the others, and God knows what would happen if I end up meeting my past self..." By the laws of most sci-fi books he had read, Tatsuya remembered that something like that could potentially shatter the universe apart. Even so, it was going to be hard going back without Sister Miki to help them out and navigate them, "But, I trust you. As long as you lead them, you can do it. Now, I gotta' go. I'll see if I can scrounge some cash for you to use over there. You're going to need a lot."

Smiling, Tatsuya thanked her for any help she could give them and then ended the call. Taking out his pocket watch and bringing it to his face, the cracked watch ticked in his palm, the picture of his family now sealed again behind another glass cover. The sudden ringing of the doorbell then caught his attention and he pocketed the small watch away before placing the phone back and heading to the door. He unlocked it and Tatsuya was surprised to see Jean, still wearing the same clothes this afternoon, on his doorstep with a nervous grin.

"What are you doing here, Jean?"

The blonde laughed, scratching the back of his head, "Ah, my sister and I got into a fight," he pointed to a few scratch marks on his face and some bandages on his hands, "Soooo, you mind if I sleep over here for the night? I don't think my sister wants to see me for a bit."

"Good grief," Tatsuya chuckled, letting his friend in, "Alright. You've eaten dinner, yet? I have plenty."

"Nope. Got kicked before I even ate."

While Tatsuya went back into the kitchen to get some dinner for Jean, Nibey curiously watched as the tall boy sat on the sofa, kicked his feet up and placed them on the table to relax. He switched open the TV and Nibey couldn't help but notice the severity of the wounds on Jean's hands and face. Then, all of a sudden, Nibey felt a chill run up his spine as he **swore** Jean looked directly at him. The Incubator thought he was just looking at something else, until a small smile slowly crept onto the boy's face and his eyes narrowed.

"Found you."

Nibey gasped and leapt off the table as there was a flash of golden light before the table he sat on was suddenly cleaved in half with ease, "Meer! Tatsuya!" he shouted to them, landing on the floor and crawling under the couch to hide. A blade shoved through the couch and nearly impaled Nibey, making the Incubator freeze out of shock before Jean pulled out his blade and kicked the couch over. Nibey was now exposed with nowhere to run and the Incubator was frozen with fear.

In his hand, Jean wielded a golden rapier that reflected the ceiling lights off its shining surface. When he pulled back the blade once more to try and thrust his rapier into the frightened Incubator, the weapon was suddenly seized by a flaming leash from behind, "What the-?!" Jean looked back and saw Meer, Tatsuya standing behind her as a leash of literal flames was held in her grasp. Jean smirked, despite the flaming leash burning his jacket's sleeves, "There you are."

"Jean, what are you doing?!"

Tearing away his rapier from Meer's flaming binds, Jean twirled his weapon in the air, his speed almost inhuman before he then pointed the tip of his blade at Meer, a loud ring coming from the golden blade, "Meer Feuer! Incubator! My name is Jean-Baudin Victore, and with the Chariot Blade, I will strike you down in the name of Akemi Homura!" he shouted in a righteous, determined tone and upon hearing that name, Tatsuya feared the worst for his friend.


	12. Chapter 11: The Chariot VS The Magician

"My name is Jean-Baudin Victore, and with the Chariot Blade, I will strike you down in the name of Akemi Homura!"

As Meer retracted her flaming binds from Jean's blade, Tatsuya never expected to see the day when his own best friend would stand before him with the intentions of killing someone. Jean always did get into fights at school and was the best fighter he ever knew, but to see all of that ferocity, zeal and anger aimed at him and Meer left Tatsuya hesitant to fight. He stepped towards Jean, wanting to talk some sense into him, but Meer held him back with one hand and shook her head disapprovingly.

"Stay back, Tatsuya," Nibey warned him, "That's not your friend right now. He's a puppet of Akemi Homura with no will of his own."

"On the contrary, Incubator!" Jean shouted, smoothly planting the tip of his rapier into the floor and pointing a sharp finger at his best friend, "Tatsuya, as I am now, I am here to simply eliminate these two. But, I have not forgotten our friendship. So please, do not get in my way or try and protect these two. A person like you would always risk themselves for others, but it would stain my honor to harm an innocent. So once more, please, don't get involved," he gave a sincere smile and Tatsuya could tell that for a moment, that was the Jean he knew.

Even so, Meer and Nibey weren't taking any chances to try and talk him out of this, "Tatsuya, I'm sorry. But we have to fight."

Tatsuya grimaced, feeling mad at himself that he can't do anything right that now that would save both Meer and Jean. His shoulders dropping, Tatsuya stepped back, "Alright. I... I understand."

Jean then plucked his rapier from the ground and seemingly snapped back into the cold-blooded assassin sent to kill them, "Good to hear that you two won't shy away from a fight. But!" he pointed his blade at Meer, who stayed unflinching at the sight of the golden rapier, "Meer Feuer, I challenge you to a one-one duel in the Mitakihara park! I could cut you both down now without breaking a sweat, but that wouldn't satisfy me in the least. You have half an hour to meet in the park, or else, both you and the Incubator will die without even seeing me coming."

A flash of golden light then shone from the blade and blinded Tatsuya, Meer and Nibey. When it died down, Jean had vanished without a trace, leaving the shambled living room with the front door wide open, "We have no choice," Nibey said as he weighed their options, "We need to defeat him, or else things will get worse and Homura might even end up finding us. Meer, I trust that you can beat him."

Meer simply nodded and glanced behind her at the distressed Tatsuya. She put a hand on Tatsuya's shoulder and she gestured him with one hand to follow them to the duel. Tatsuya accepted the offer with a similar nod, since if there was a chance to save Jean, even a bit, then he had to be there so save him. He wasn't going to let this end with a death. As the group went out the door, Tatsuya fetched the keys to Madoka's car from a drawer nearby and rushed out the door to make it to the duel in time.

* * *

The moon was in full view of the city as moonlight seeped between the branches of the tree Jean patiently waited under. Standing still on the grassy fields of the Mitakihara park, his leather kept him warm from the cold wind that rustled the grass at his feet, his golden blade planted in the ground as his arms were folded across his chest. While he continued to wait for his challenger, the boy kept his ears open for any sounds aside from the cars in the distance, the chirping of crickets and the low howling of the wind all he could hear.

The park was empty at this kind of time, not a single soul in sight. The tall lights built along the park walking-paths were the only sources of light and it had already been 20 minutes since Jean had issued his challenge. Then, a cocky smile grew on Jean's face as he heard approaching footsteps growing in the distance after the short noise of a car parking itself. They were here.

"You've finally arrived," Jean muttered. He looked up and was disappointed to see that Tatsuya had come along with Meer and Nibey, but he focused on the matter at hand instead to keep track of his mission. Jean pulled his blade from the ground and swiped his blade through the air to get the dirt off it before shooting a cocky smirk at his two targets, "Let's see how long you can last, Meer Feuer."

Tatsuya stood underneath the park lights with Nibey on his shoulder as Meer approached the blonde. She took of her spectacles and placed them in her pockets for safe-keeping. The girl bore no fear on her face and remained calm as ice as she now stood a few meters away from the possessed boy with nothing but the skill she had to challenge him.

"Be careful, Meer," Tatsuya advised, "Jean's the best I know when it comes to the blade."

"Don't worry," Nibey calmly reassured him, "Meer's been through countless training to be prepared for any fight with any opponent. She's young, but she was one of the best magic practicians in the Maidens of Battle."

Jean eagerly smiled upon hearing that, "Let's prove that, shall we?" Suddenly, Jean raised his rapier into the air and it emitted an audible ring as a golden light enveloped his body. All but Meer looked away from the blinding light as a set of golden, knight-like armor materialized around Jean's form, its sleek and polished surface bearing the emblem of a rose on the chest piece as a blue cape covered the left side of Jean's body and arm. His helmet bore a v-shaped visor and a blue feather on the back as Jean then let out a boastful laugh, twirling his rapier in his hand and striking a battle stance.

Tatsuya could barely recognize the armor's design no matter how hard he looked. It was like an odd amalgamation of different European armor designs, all combined to form a unique style of armor all by itself.

But Meer wasn't in the least bit impressed. Taking out her Soul Gem, it was attached to a pair of prayer beads as she wrapped them around her hands and clasped them together in a prayer. She got to her knees and knelt on the grass. Performing a silent prayer, Tatsuya gasped as Meer's body was suddenly encased in a block of solid ice, freezing her on the spot and turning her into an statue-like form of ice as Jean raised a brow under his helmet. Then, the ice suddenly shattered apart and flames spewed forth from the holes in the melting ice, revealing Meer once more as she stood up with the grass at her feet now seared by the intense flames.

Meer now wore a white sorceress robe, simple in design with a nun's headdress. On her left shoulder was the emblem of a red flame, while the emblem of a blue teardrop decorated her right. Red and blue trims engraved her sleeves and roes, and on her arms, Meer wore two pairs of cuffs on her wrists. One was made out of pure fire on her left and the other on her made out of ice on her right. She raised her hands in the air and with the flick of her fingers, the flames at her feet were extinguished from her will alone.

Tatsuya was left in awe as his eyes saw their first display of magic up close and personal.

As the two prepared their weapons, the intensity of their glares were almost palpable, a white mage standing face to face against a golden knight under the light of the moon.

"_En garde'_!" Jean lashed at Meer as she reeled back and saw the blade barely swing pass her neck. With one hand behind his back, Jean's rapier whipped through the air with a form of elegance to it and Meer was quick to evade every single strike from the golden knight with her calm expression still unchanging. Tatsuya though could barely keep up with Jean's inhuman speed which almost made it look like the knight wielded more than one blade. As Jean's swipes and strikes slowly pushed Meer back, Jean was practically on an adrenaline rush, "Come on! Come on! Come on! Don't disappoint me!"

Meer ducked under a swing as it cut apart a drinking fountain behind her in half and spilled water everywhere. The Puella Magi jumped back and flung a barrage of flaming orbs from her left palm at the knight. Jean laughed under his helmet and the blade of his rapier radiated brightly with gold before he twirled his blade in the air and deflected the flames with one, single strike of his blade. The flames ricocheted off his rapier like softballs off a baseball bat and lit up the tree they landed on.

Tatsuya gasped, the Puella Magi distancing herself from the knight as she wiped the gathering sweat off her forehead.

"My Chariot Blade is unlike any other!" Jean boasted, "Sharp enough to cut through anything, it's quite capable of deflecting any pathetic attack you throw at me, Meer Feuer!" with one hand, he pounded on his chest plate and mockingly wagged a finger, "Don't think you can break through this armor either," he added in mocking tone.

The cockiness in his tone began to aggravate Meer to no end. As the water from the damaged drinking fountain gathered around Jean's feet and his armor, they cared not for the tree burning beside them until Meer extinguished the flames with another nonchalant flick of her fingers. Knowing that prolonging the fight would possibly end up in Jean's favor, Meer needed to end this fight with one decisive strike. Otherwise, she'll end up losing in a battle of attrition.

Holding out her left hand, the flaming cuffs around her wrist then flared into hot blue fire as several glowing lines swirled into her palm. Meer closed her eyes and focused, a ring of fire bursting into existence around her feet as Jean narrowed his eyes under his visor and smiled, "Oh, ready to show your true power? Very well. Show me what you can do! I'll deflect it back right at you!"

"Tatsuya, get behind something!"

Following Nibey's warning, Tatsuya ran behind a nearby stone bench and watched as Meer clasped her hands together and opened her eyes. She stomped her foot onto the ground, swung her arms forward and out of her palms, came a large flaming projectile in the shape of an enormous, majestic phoenix as it soared through the air on enormous wings of fire. It let out a proud screech that made Tatsuya clench his ears as Jean readied his blade and smirked, the flaming ring around Meer absorbed by the phoenix as it grew in size.

"Have at-! What?!" Jean attempted to charge straight at the phoenix with his magical blade, but he was shocked to find out that his feet had been stuck to the ground while he wasn't looking. The water at his feet frozen solid and so was the water spilled onto his armor from the water fountain, Jean was unable to do anything. He did nothing but stand still in shock as the flaming phoenix then struck him with the force of a missile and sent him flying through the air before he landed on a wooden bench that broke under his weight. Smoke billowed from his armor, his sword landing right beside his hand.

"Jean!" Tatsuya stood up to help him, but Nibey told him to stay back once more. The look in Meer's eyes and the fact she hadn't drop her guard down yet told him that it wasn't over, but Tatsuya found that hard to believe.

That is, until they heard laughter arise from the golden knight lying on the ground, "Bravo, Meer Feuer... You've certainly proved what you can do," Jean muttered, his body then slowly rising up from the ground while smoke continued to billow from his armor. Picking up his rapier, Jean then straightened his posture and took his battle stance once more as Tatsuya was shocked to see that Jean had survived, "The ice trick there was very clever, but it will take more than little tricks and a single spell to knock me out."

"He's definitely tougher than he looks," Nibey agreed to Meer's signage, "A blow like that should've left nothing of him in the first place."

Jean's armor was smoking hot, but Tatsuya examined him closely and noticed that there wasn't much signs of damage aside from a few dents and the fact that the cape covering his left arm had now been burned away, "I already told you, my armor is unbreakable!" Jean reminded her, flipping open his face plate on its hinge to wipe the sweat gathering on his face and spit on the grass, "But, since you've shown me how strong you can really be, I guess it's time that the gloves come off. Chariot armor, cast off!" with that order, the golden plating encasing his body let out a loud hiss before ejecting themselves from his body. They fell to the ground and disappeared as Jean now wore nothing but a black body glove with boots, gauntlets and a thin layer of chainmail covering his chest. He tossed away his helmet and grinned.

"Going to give us an edge on the playing field?" Nibey mused.

Jean chuckled, "You could say that. With my armor, any attack that you throw at me would be pointless. But, since it weighs on me down quite severely, taking it off makes it much, _much _easier for me, despite it making me now vulnerable. Why am I explaining all this, you ask? Well-" he tapped his rapier on his other hand like a baton, "It would be dishonorable to challenge you to duel and win without evening the field. Beating you will be much more satisfying that way, and now that we both know each other's limits, the next few minutes are going to be _very _interesting."

Tatsuya didn't like the looks of this. If this went on further, then it would be a duel to the death. He could tell that Meer knew this as well, but she couldn't afford to hold back any longer. Meer gave him an apologetic nod and turned away to approach the knight once more for one final duel. Tatsuya was disgusted with himself that he couldn't do anything but watch.

Freezing the water in the air to form a shield of ice in her right hand while she created a sword of flames in the other, Meer raised her translucent shield in the air while Jean readied his rapier once more. Jean and Meer now circled each other slowly, staring down one another as they dragged their blades on the ground behind them. Ready to strike, the flames on Meer's sword didn't even sear the grass as they were rustled from a gust of wind blowing pass them.

Meer then drew in a sharp breath when Jean lunged at her in the blink of an eye and suddenly disappeared. Unable to react, Meer suppressed a cry as a slash wound then opened up on her back. Meer grasped the bleeding wound and when she snapped behind her, Jean was suddenly now standing on the other side of the field with a bloodied rapier in his hand, "Surprised?" he laughed, "This is my true speed, Meer Feuer. Like I said, without my armor, I'm at my top speed, and with it, I'll make sure to end this quickly," he said as he swiped the blood of his rapier and pointed it once more at Meer.

"Meer, watch out!" she heard Tatsuya shout as she swung her flaming blade around and clashed blades with Jean. The two swords were now locked with one another, Meer's legs buckling under her as slowly, Jean began to overpower her through a combination of Meer's wounds and his superior physical strength. Meer winced from her injuries, blood pouring from her back as the golden rapier pressed down on her blade and slowly began cutting through the solid flames.

The rapier then sliced her flaming blade in two and slashed Meer across the chest. Meer suppressed the pain but was unable to react as Jean then kneed her in the chest, grabbed her by the throat and threw her into a nearby tree. She coughed out blood and Meer opened her eyes to see the knight seemingly blink towards her again. From her palm, Meer formed a whip-like form of flames and lashed out against the knight out of desperation.

"What's wrong?! Can't catch up?!" Jean taunted, effortlessly dodging the flaming lash by blinking left and right, here and there. His speed confused Meer and as her eyes darted around, it took her a second to realize that Jean had now jumped into the air, his back facing the moon as he descended on her with his blade.

Meer raised her shield and Jean's rapier stabbed through the ice like it was paper, pinning Meer's shoulder and her right arm into the tree as she gasped in pain.

"Meer!"

Blood seeped from the wounds on her forearm and shoulder, her shield beginning to crack as Jean attempted to drag the blade downwards and bisect Meer into two. Jean grinned with joy as Meer's ice shield was now compromised and her flame whip was useless at this range. He could even see the look of strain and desperation on Meer's face through the translucent ice shield. Tightening his sweaty grip on his rapier, Jean put all his force into dragging his blade downwards and ending this fight here and now, "It's over, Meer Feuer!"

Meer's eyes narrowed, and when the ice shield Meer hid behind shattered into hundreds of pieces, Jean gasped at the sight of Meer's flame whip now gathered together in her palm to form one, big grenade of flames. The grenade swirled in her palm, ready to explode, and as Jean attempted to pull his blade out, the rapier was stuck in the tree and he was shocked to realize that his hand had been frozen into the handle of his rapier from Meer freezing the sweat in his palm. With nowhere to run, Jean simply smiled with content as he was then struck in the chest by the grenade, sending him flying through the air from the subsequent explosion before tumbling into the lake like ragdoll. His blade slid next to Tatsuya and it vanished as the boy ran up to Meer.

Grasping her wounds, Meer panted for air as Tatsuya and Nibey got her to her feet. Meer weakly signed to Nibey with one hand that she was okay before taking out her Soul Gem to heal her wounds as Tatsuya glanced worryingly at the lake. The golden knight floated at the surface of the water, and after making sure that Meer was fine, Tatsuya rushed into the water. He swam as fast as he could towards his friend and dragged his body to the edge of the lake. Both of them now drenched in water, Tatsuya pulled Jean out off the water and cradled his friend's body, "Jean, wake up! Jean!"

The blonde groaned weakly in his arms, the chain-mail on his chest now burned away with a large scorch mark replacing it.

"Tatsuya, get away from him," Nibey warned, "It's too dangerous."

"N-No... It's fine," Jean whispered, slowly opening his eyes and coughing out the water stuck in his lungs, "You've beaten me... fair and square," he chuckled, "I didn't think my swordsmanship would get beaten by magic in a straight duel. Man, was I conceited... so conceited..." lifting his arm as if it weighed kilograms, Jean's bloodied hand weakly wiped a tear of Tatsuya's cheek as Jean gave him a cocky smirk and sighed, "Come on, Tatsuya, don't look so sad," he said nonchalantly, "I hate it... when you... cry..."

Jean's eyes closed shut, his hand falling limp as Tatsuya grasped it. Meer lowered her head in respect as the life of the contended knight faded away in Tatsuya's grasp. But Tatsuya refused to let this happen, "No. No! Not like this!" he snapped to the Puella Magi behind him healing her wounds with her Soul Gem, "Meer, please, save him! I can't let him die!"

"If we save him, it's possible he'll try and attack us again," Nibey protested, understanding Tatsuya's frustration but choosing not to take any risks, "What if Homura's brainwashing is stronger than we think? What are we going to do about that?"

Balling his hand into a fist, Tatsuya answered his question by calling forth The Hand into his possession. Grasping his unconscious friend by the forehead, the orb in The Hand shone brightly enough to flood the entire park with light as Tatsuya's eyes once more turned into the same golden eyes the omnipotent form of his sister had. Tatsuya believed in that The Hand would free Jean of his mind control the same way it could remove the mind wipes inflicted by Akemi Homura, and when he released his grip on his best friend, those bright, golden eyes of his then glanced expectantly at Meer and Nibey.

"Please."

* * *

It had been an hour or so since Jean had visited Tatsuya in the hospital. Jean did wanted to come along with Tatsuya and Kaname back to their house after that, but he had to take care of his sister at home and make dinner for the both of them. He really did want to chat a bit that good-looking girl with the spectacles, but he guess he could visit them tomorrow after school. Meer, was it? he tried to remember her name. He definitely found that quiet personality of hers quite endearing compared to all the chatty girls he'd seen for the past few weeks.

While waiting for the steak in the oven to be finished cooking, Jean was frying some eggs in a pan while sprinkling some salt into the stew pot next to it. He took out a small spoon and smiled when he sampled a taste of his personal stew recipe, "_Très bien_! Nothing tastes better than the cooking of myself!" to Jean, nothing was more invigorating than the feeling of a good meal aside from making one. Turning off the stove, Jean put on some mitts to open up the oven and place a large tray of meat on the counter. He slid back to the cupboards behind him to take out some plates and utensils without looking.

"Jean, you got a phone call! It's Mom and Dad!" he heard Isabelle call him over from the living room.

"Oh boy," Jean muttered under his breath.

Putting the plates on the table, Jean untied the apron around him and tossed it onto a chair before heading out into the living room where Isabelle was cleaning the place up before dinner. Sweeping the living room floor with a broom and trying to clean up the mess that was their house, Jean went up to the phone and picked it up.

It had been a while since they got a call from their parents, an overseas one at that. Jean had also gotten a bit accustomed to speaking Japanese to the point that it took him 3 seconds to realize this before switching to French when talking to his mother, "What is it, Mom? Why the sudden call?"

"I'm just calling to check up on you two. How are you and Belle doing over there, Jean? Are you two eating well? Have you both gotten into any sort of trouble?"

Their mother always did worry a little too much about them ever since they were kids. She was the type to fuss about the little things so much that it took a lot of effort to convince her to let both Belle and him take up fencing as a hobby, "We're fine, Mom. I told you, we can take care of ourselves just fine. The house is in perfection condition anyway!" he was going to laugh, but stopped when he felt a glare from his sister stab into his back, "It was a just a joke," he whispered to her with a hand covering the phone.

"The trash around our house would like to argue with that."

Jean hushed his sister and heard her laugh a little before he went back to the call, "Anyway, Belle and I have been living her for years already. If we got into trouble, you and Dad would be the first to know, remember? Like we promised?"

"I know. But, I'm just worried about you two. Are you sure you two don't want to come back here? Your father's even starting to miss you both."

Jean twirled the phone cord around his finger and leaned on the wall in thought. He noticed Belle now watching him as if she could tell how the phone call was going without even hearing any of it, "We... We're sure, Mom," Jean tried to let her down slowly, "Belle and I like it here. So, we're staying. Don't worry, I'll take care of Belle, I promise. You can count on me to make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"... Alright. I'll call you two back in a while; I want to talk to Belle later. Take care."

He put down the phone and placed his hands on the table in front of him while letting out a long sigh of relief, "How did it go?" a concerned Belle asked him, putting the broom aside under a pair of dusty, antique rapiers on the wall and right next to a wall mirror that desperately needed to be polished.

Jean gave her a smirk and answered without any sort of worry to his voice, "Same as always. Mom's worried as usual, but I told her we're alright. She never changes does she?" Jean chuckled to himself and scratched the back of his neck, but stopped when the look on Belle's face told him that she dearly misses their parents more so than him, "Well, dinner's ready. Why don't we get something to eat-?"

The doorbell suddenly rang and it was accompanied by a needlessly loud knock on the door.

Jean shrugged at a questioning look Belle gave him before she went up to the window and peeked through the curtains, "It's a girl," Belle said, standing aside to let her brother take a look as well, "Do you know her?"

"No. Maybe she's just looking for directions?" Jean gave a shrug and opened up the door. On their doorstep, the stranger standing in front of them suddenly stared down on them with cold, analyzing eyes. She didn't look like she was from around here, wearing black, tattered leather clothes with skin that looked almost sickly pale. Jean instantly urged Belle to head back inside before attempting to talk to the stranger, "Can I help you?"

"Jean-Baudin Victore. I need you to accompany me," her monotonous voice explained, "I'd like to ask you a few questions about a girl named 'Meer Feuer'. Your cooperation would be most appreciated."

It was like talking to machine. Heck, a machine could actually have more personality than this girl. Looking back at Belle who urged him to tell her off, Jean scratched the back of his head and put on the friendliest smile possible, "Sorry, but I don't know who this... err... 'Miia' girl is. I think you got the wrong person and I'd like to help, but I think you could ask someone like the police about this?"

The girl's face remained unchanged, but her stare sent a chill up Jean's spine as he tried his best to keep a poker face, "Is that so? Very well. Then, I do apologize about this," she said as she reached for her pocket.

"What are you-"

Jean blinked, and without warning, the boy gasped in shock as the stranger pulled out a blade and forced it into his abdomen. Although the pain was numbed by the shock, Jean stumbled back in horror and fell to his side to on the floor as he attempted to pull the blade from his wound.

"Jean!" Belle grabbed one of the antique rapiers on the wall and stood protectively over her brother as the girl on their doorstep entered their house and slammed the door shut behind her, "Get away from my brother!" Belle pointed the rusty blade at her, but the stranger merely snapped her fingers as if she was addressing someone, "I'm warning you! Stay back!"

Jean couldn't even move, feeling the warn blood pouring from his abdomen staining his hands and leaking between his fingers, "R-Run, Belle! Call the p-police!" suddenly, on the wall mirror next to Belle, Jean gasped at the sight of a fourth person in their house being reflected in the glass as the person stood behind his sister. He saw nothing in front of him, but in the mirror - as if she was only visible in the mirror - there was definitely a fourth person in the house and from her wrist, sprouted a long, jagged blade, "Belle, run!"

The girl in the mirror viciously plunged her blade into Belle's back and covered her mouth while in unison, a wound blossomed on the back of his sister in front of him out of nowhere. She couldn't even scream. As Belle dropped her rapier and fell to the floor, confusion and anger flowed through Jean's veins as he stared into the empty, wide eyes of his sister's corpse.

Gritting his teeth, Jean reached for the rapier on the ground, but the stranger stomped on his foot, kicked the blade away and seized him by the neck, "You're coming with us," before knocking him out cold with a savage punch to the face, Jean took one last look at the mirror and there, he could still see his sister's killer standing above his sister's corpse with her jagged blood now stained with blood.

* * *

"... And that's how it happened."

As Jean explained what happened to Belle and how Homura had kidnapped him, he sat bandaged up on the living room couch of Tatsuya's house with everyone listening to him. Sayaka and Nagisa had also returned from the hospital and had helped bandage up Jean and Meer after Tatsuya gave them a call. Although his chest still ached and burned, Jean was grateful that they spared him and saved his life instead. Even when they explained everything about Puella Magi and the Maidens of Battle to him while treating his wounds, this all was almost too much to take in.

"After that, they took me somewhere, brainwashed me, gave me these abilities and... they - they sent me to find you," he said, looking at Meer across the table who had medical wraps on her arm, chest and shoulders, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what got over me. I just..." frustrated, he buried his face into his palms and tried to control the anger arising in him, "It's all my fault..."

Tatsuya placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "No, Jean. It wasn't your fault. She made you do this. Akemi forced you to do this," the frown Jean had didn't fade away, but Tatsuya still kept trying to cheer him up. Looking at Sayaka, Tatsuya asked, "What's the plan now?"

"It won't take long for Homura to realize Jean failed," Sayaka said, standing up from her chair and folding her arms, "We don't have much time now. We need to get our things ready and hurry up before Homura catches up to us."

"Wait," Jean interjected, Tatsuya's hand still on his shoulder. Wincing from the burns on his chest, he glanced at Meer and inquired, "The... 'Puella Magi' that killed my sister," the word sounded alien to his tongue, "Do you know her? I remember... bandages covering her face, burns marks on her hands... and a blade. A jagged blade that sprouted from her wrist."

The mute girl shook her head and signed something to Nibey.

"We don't know any of the girls you described," Nibey translated what Meer said for him, "There's a chance that Homura could have hired a group of Magi as spies or even mercenaries. Not all Magical Girls we have encountered were willing to be a part of the Maidens, sadly."

Clutching his chest, Jean grimaced and his brow furrowed in anger, "Belle..." he whispered. Wiping the corners of his eyes with a tissue that Nagisa handed to him, Jean tossed it into a bin nearby after he was done and remained silent as everyone around him started discussing about the next step in their plan. He wasn't listening as they spoke. But when he took out the rose that was in his breast pocket, the rose that his sister grew for him in their homeland, Jean suddenly rose up and declared, "I've decided to come along with you guys."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jean?" Tatsuya warned him, "Neither of us could come back-"

"I don't care," Jean spat, raising his voice as it was infected with a sort of righteousness tone, "My sister is dead because of me. The bitch that killed her is still out there somewhere, so I can't just go home and do nothing while all of this shit just happens around me!" his words seeped through clenched teeth, "If helping you guys means avenging my sister, then I'll do it. I'll use my new abilities to help you guys and make sure my sister's killer gets a taste of my blade! Please, take me with you!"

As Sayaka sat back down to think about this, she looked at Nibey and the two quietly discussed about Jean while Nagisa, Tatsuya and Meer waited. Meer and Nagisa had no objections to him coming along, as they know he would be of use to them, but Tatsuya was worried about dragging his own friend into all of this. Jean tapped his foot on the floor and from the look on his face, there was definitely nothing Tatsuya could do to discourage him from not joining them.

"Alright, you can come along," Sayaka finally answered, looking like she was going to regret this decision. Looking at the rest, Sayaka sighed as she took out her cell phone, "You all prepare your things. We're going to make our move the first thing in the morning."

* * *

**Crusaders Stats Sheet**

**Name: Jean-Baudin Victore**

**Tarot Card: The Chariot**

**Power: C**

**Speed: B (A when unarmored)**

**Durability: A (D when unarmored)**

**Precision: A**

**Abilities: The Chariot Blade - A rapier sharp enough to cut through most objects and has magical capabilities that allow it to deflect projectiles such as flames. Jean makes up for its lack of power with speed and precision and when Jean ejects his near-unbreakable Chariot Armor, he unleashes the full speed of his body, akin to getting an adrenaline rush. **

**Name: Meer Feuer**

**Tarot Card: The Magician**

**Power: A**

**Speed: B**

**Durability: B**

**Precision: C**

**Abilities: The Magician's Cuffs - One made out of fire and the other out of ice, Meer is capable of manipulating both elements and bending them to her will. Freezing water in the air to create armor, creating binds and swords out of flames and more, Meer was taught by the elite Maiden and Friend, Regina Ghiaccio, in the art of elements.**


	13. Chapter 12: The Path You Chose

The pale moonlight shone through the windows of the Mitakihara Public Hospital as the clacking of heels echoed through the dark, empty hallways. A tall figure with long, flowing hair wore a dress and a silk scarf around her neck as she walked through the halls, carrying a thick bouquet of pink flowers in her arms. The sound of her echoing heels stopped when the figure stopped in front of a specific door down the corridor and slid it to the side, quietly stepping into the hospital room of Kaname Madoka all by herself.

Madoka lied in her bed, hooked up to a ventilator to help her breathe and a heart-rate monitor next to her bed. Laying the flowers on the bedside drawer, Homura stood at Madoka's side and used a finger to move away a strand of hair that was on Madoka's face. A brief smile came to Homura, before it disappeared for good as she pulled up a chair and sat at the foot of Madoka's bed. Homura cupped her face in her hands, and in a low, almost defeated voice, she uttered the words of a lost woman praying to a God.

"Forgive me."

Homura didn't know whether she wanted an answer or not. But, like a lost soul sitting in the halls of a church for redemption, Homura found herself shedding her god-like image in the presence of her weakened lover.

"She... She came again, after all these years, questioning me once more and reminding myself of what I once was... I was hopeless back then," Homura chuckled weakly at herself, "I couldn't fend for myself, until... until I met you. You gave me a reason to live, Madoka, a reason to become stronger. But, perhaps I'm just as hopeless as I was before..."

Lifting her face from her hands, Homura stared at Madoka's still face and grimaced.

"All this time, I simply wanted you to live a peaceful life. But, no matter what I did, I knew that one day, all of this would have to end. This dream. This life. I knew that - the moment I created this world - and now here we are. All of this caused to postpone the inevitable. And no matter what, I can't see any of this continuing without any more people dying..."

Homura wished what Madoka would answer her, would say something, _anything_, to ease her pain. Madoka was right in front of her, but right now, she couldn't feel any more distant from her.

"I have committed over a hundred sins over the years, Madoka," Homura found that easy to admit, as she was already numb to death and despair from countless ordeals in the past, "Especially in the past few days, I've done nothing but commit things that I'm not proud of. But at this point-" Homura felt her hands began to tremble, "I don't know whether I'm doing this all for you - or myself - Please, Madoka... forgive me for what I have done... and also, for what I am about to do."

Then, without another word, Homura stood up from her chair and walked over to Madoka's side to brush her cheek with the back of her hand once more before placing a small kiss on her forehead. She took one last moment to gaze upon the person that was the shining beacon in her life, and as Homura turned to leave, Akemi Homura found herself encasing everything about her within the being that calls herself The Devil once more, the very persona she had created for herself and molded into. Homura then vanished from the room in a blink of an eye, leaving the deserted halls silent once more as the bouquet of flowers intended for Madoka rested under the moonlight.

* * *

It was 2 in the morning at this point, 4 mere hours before everyone would all gather in Tatsuya's home and begin their plans to prevent Homura from becoming a Puella Magi. Sitting in her bed with an empty luggage bag lying on the floor, Nagisa chugged down her 3rd can of beer before tossing the empty can into her recently-emptied dust bin. Nagisa stared at the bag on the floor, bringing her legs to her chest as she wrapped herself in her blanket and continued to look at her empty luggage bag in thought.

Before Sayaka had returned her to her apartment and told Mami about Madoka's condition, Nagisa had been given one choice: Stay here with Mami and continue to live a peaceful life in ignorance and bliss, or go with Tatsuya, Jean and Meer on their journey back in time. It was a decision Nagisa only had a few hours left to decide. The beer didn't even seem to have made choosing any easier like she had expected either, to much of her annoyance as Nagisa sighed and fished out another beer can from under her bed.

Nagisa opened her 4th drink with one hand and mulled over her choices while practically downing down what was left of her stash.

Nagisa wanted to come along, since just sitting here and doing nothing would only make her feel horrible while the others risked their lives to save them all, but at the same time, she knew very well how Mami felt about being left all alone. Leaving her would be the worst thing she could ever do to Mami, and she didn't want the one person she saw as a mother to suffer. She had already felt the pain of losing her real mother during her brief time as a Puella Magi in her old life, and she didn't want to repeat the same mistakes as before.

Throwing away the empty can, Nagisa buried her face in her pillow and wrapped her arms around it tightly.

She turned her head to the side and gazed at the ring that sat on her bedside drawer, the golden, flowery ring that Mami had given to her on the same day Tatsuya had received his pocket-watch. Nagisa had worn it ever since, since it always reminded her of Mami no matter what.

It was now 3 and a half hours until it was time. Nagisa needed to decide.

Knowing that prolonging this would just make it harder, Nagisa promptly got off her bed, tied her hair back into a ponytail, put on some fresh clothes and then stepped out of her room. Across the hall from her room was Mami's, the door already creating this intimidating, palpable feeling that made Nagisa begin to shiver from simply looking at it. Nagisa gulped, letting her feet walk her over to the room and raising a hand that remained still for a minute as she stood in front of the door. Her palms felt sweaty as she then rapped her knuckles on the door and called, "Mami?"

The door lock could be heard clicking before the door itself opened up. Mami stood under the doorway with her hair all down and a nightgown covering her body, a light from her room and the glasses in her pocket indicating that she might had been doing some reading before sleeping, "What is it, Nagi?" Mami yawned, rubbing her eyes with one hand.

Nagisa's throat felt dry all of a sudden, even though she had been doing nothing but drink ever since she got back, "M-Mami... I..." her hands felt clammy and looking at Mami while she spoke was virtually impossible, "I'm going to-"

She couldn't do it. Mami's gentle gaze and sincere smile made it unbearable to tell her.

"Nagi?" Mami wondered what was wrong, noticing the thick sour odor that was stuck to Nagisa.

Suddenly, Nagisa pulled Mami into a hug and buried her face in her shoulder. Mami was at lost on what to do except simply hug her back, as she could feel Nagisa shaking in her arms while faintly crying. She couldn't remember the last time she had held Nagisa like this either, it had been far too long, "I h-have to leave, Mami, with Tatsuya. I don't know how long I'll be gone, b-but please, don't feel sad... don't cry..." but Nagisa failed to hold back her own tears as she shivered from Mami's hand gently running through her hair, "I can't tell you where we're going... but this is something I have to do. I'm sorry."

Pulling away, Mami wiped the tears from Nagisa's cheeks and gently smiled back at her surrogate daughter. Her grip on Nagisa's shoulders felt tight in contrast to her calm and collected voice, "Alright... but, please, promise me you'll come back, Nagisa," she whispered, raising a hand with her pinky finger extended, " You're a grown girl at this point, and I know you can truly handle things all by yourself, but - no matter what - promise me you will be safe."

Nagisa returned the smile as best she could and then gripped Mami's pinky finger with her own, swearing to her, "I promise."

The two shared one last hug, before Nagisa pulled away and slowly walked to her room. Looking back one last time at Mami, Nagisa then entered her room and began packing up her luggage, throwing clothes, money and other essentials into her bag before zipping it all up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. She picked up her ring from her bedside drawer and rubbed the yellow gem engraved into it before putting it on.

* * *

It was now 4 AM, 2 mere hours before it was time to make their move. Jean had no idea what the others were planning, but that was all he could think about as he couldn't even sleep or rest for a few minutes. Not after last night. Each time Jean closed his eyes, he would see his sister die before him over, and over, and over again. Each time he would try to sleep, he would violently awaken with beads of sweat on his face. He needed something to calm his mind, something to keep his mind off the person that murdered his sister.

Getting up into a sitting position on the Kaname's living room sofa, Jean looked over to his luggage where he had gathered his clothes, money, the rose his sister had given him and other essentials he had packed for the journey. But as Jean looked across the living room, there, he could see Meer Feuer sleeping peacefully on the sofa she lied down on with the dim lamp at her side still turned on. She looked like she was in utter bliss, that is, until Jean noticed Meer's subtle trembling as she slept, a single tear trailing from her shut eyes as she curled up on the sofa.

Jean frowned, slumping on the sofa as he let out a tired sigh. He knew about Meer and the stuff about the Maidens of Battle, but the part he still couldn't wrap his mind around would be what they had told him about the Maidens' battle against Homura. An entire army wiped out in a single night, with only this girl being what was left of what was supposed to be an entire faction.

Getting up from the sofa, Jean slowly walked over his luggage near his feet and quietly entered the kitchen. There, he flipped open a switch and Jean squinted his eyes in response to the light turning on so suddenly. Jean looked over what was in the kitchen once his eyes adjusted, thinking that cooking something would ease his mind.

After a few minutes of finding utensils and a pan, the alluring scent of sizzling eggs and brewing coffee soon filled Jean's senses as he quietly sung a song to himself in his home language. It was a soft lullaby his mother always sang to himself to help him sleep and one that he had always used whenever he wanted to calm himself. He didn't have the song down to a tee, but Jean's haunting singing echoed faintly through the house as a soft melody. Although Jean's late night cooking and singing did not go unnoticed for long as Jean heard a few ginger footsteps from behind and turned around to see Meer, curiously poking her head into the kitchen as she looked at Jean with child-like interest.

"Oh, Meer... Umm... Good morning...!" he stammered out, his hand still holding the pan over the stove as Meer continued to stare at him. Jean could notice the tear stains left on Meer's cheeks, but Jean tried hard to ignore them and talk about something else entirely, "You want something to eat?"

The simple mention of food practically lit up Meer's eyes as she stepped into the kitchen and sat down on a chair while Jean continued to cook. Stirring the eggs in the pain with a spatula, Jean could feel Meer looking at him as his mind wandered for something to talk about. Why was it so hard to talk to girls all of a sudden? he wondered.

"So... err..." his lips pursed, saying the first thing that came to his mind without thinking, "Thanks, for just now. For freeing me, I mean. Heh, I know Tatsuya was the one that brought me back to my senses, but I guess... I wanted to thank you, too. You did pretty well kicking my ass just now," Jean chuckled to himself, feeling more and more like an idiot as he continued to blabber. Turning off the stove, he placed the eggs into two plates and brought them over to the table. A cup of fresh coffee and eggs for him and Meer, it was a small but adequate meal.

Pulling up a chair for himself to sit down and eat, Jean noticed the notepad that Meer had taken from her pocket. She wrote down something on it before showing it to him and it simply said, "You're welcome," the words written down on it in French, good French at that. Jean cracked a smile, laughing a little to himself as Meer mirrored his action and wrote down something else, "Your singing is beautiful."

Jean scratched his cheek in embarrassment, hoping that Meer hadn't heard that just now, "Thanks," he said, "I woke you up with that, didn't I?"

She nodded, but Meer didn't look like she minded him waking her up with his voice. One of the longest conversations he honestly ever had with a girl and it's with one that he had been fighting to the death just a few hours ago. Life was strange, and for a fierce person when it came to fighting, Meer's blue eyes had a sort of magnetic pull to them behind those glasses of hers, an almost innocent aura of purity that hid a sense of fiery determination that rivaled even his, as Jean stared at her without thinking.

Meer tapped on the table to get his attention and showed him another sentence she had wrote down, "Did you want to ask me something?"

"Am I that easy to read?" Jean asked with not a single hint of surprise, since this girl was sharper than she looked.

Meer nodded, the look in her eyes telling him that Jean wasn't going anywhere without telling her what was on his mind.

Jean took a second to sip his coffee and then held the mug in both his hands to keep them warm. He wondered if this was going to be a mistake mentioning it, but he did so anyway, "Just now, when you were sleeping, you... you were crying, weren't you? About your sisters?" looking at her, Meer's expression and shoulders promptly sunk and Jean immediately regretted even opening his mouth, "Sorry," he quickly said, "But... You know you don't have to hold back, you know? You can talk about it if you want to. It helps. My sister always did say that..."

Before his food could get cold, Jean picked up his utensils and began eating, having nothing left to say. Meer wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her robe and picked up her fork to do the same, but not before writing down on her pad again and sliding it over to him, "I miss them."

The look in her eyes was gut-wrenching to say the least, as Jean put down his fork and drummed his fingers on the table in thought, "Yeah, I miss my sister, too... But-" he tried to put on the best smile he could to muster and cheer her up, "Even if you're the last of the Maidens, you're not alone, you know? I guess, well, we're your family now. Since we're all going to go on this wild ride together till the end," Jean then held her hand in comfort, adding, "I promise: We'll avenge my sister and your sisters together. You with me?"

Slowly nodding, Jean was relieved to see Meer slowly smiling again and felt a sort of satisfaction he had never experienced before. He then noticed Meer's cheeks turning into a dark shade of red and immediately let go of her hand when Jean realized that he had been holding onto her for a while. Jean scratched his reddish cheeks, and then, the two shared a small, awkward laugh before continuing with their breakfast.

* * *

5:10 AM, less than an hour left for the group to finish preparing for their journey. Tatsuya had already prepared all of his things and gathered enough money from his savings and Sister Miki for the trip. Nibey had yet to tell them about how they were going to go back in the first place, so the pressure just continued to build up on Tatsuya's shoulders as the time to go neared. Before they would leave, though, Tatsuya had to make one last visit. If he went without doing this, it would leave a permanent sense of regret within him forever.

Making as little noise as possible as he snuck through the hallways of the hospital, Tatsuya could barely see in the pitch-black darkness. Even with the light from his cellphone being used as a sort of flashlight to help guide him, he searched the halls endlessly for the room his sister rested in. Finally, after checking quite a while, he found it, "Here it is," he uttered to himself as he slid the door open and closed it behind him.

The beeping of the heart-rate monitor rang in through the room repeatedly and the odd sounds of the ventilator felt alien to Tatsuya's ears. He slowly approached the bed his sister lied in and quietly stood at her side for what seemed like minutes instead of seconds. Running a hand through her hair while gazing helplessly at his sister's weakened state, Tatsuya then noticed the bouquet of flowers that sat on the bedside drawer and wondered who had left them there. Cherry blossoms, he recognized them, his sister's favorite.

Tatsuya held onto Madoka's cold hand and squeezed it tight, hoping for a response.

"Say... Sister... can you hear me?" Tatsuya whispered, his low voice easy to pick up in the cold, empty room, "Do you remember the last time I got sick? It was so long ago, but I can still remember it: Stuck with an incurable sickness, lying on the brink of death, completely helpless... I guess, this was what you were feeling when I was the one lying on this bed, huh?" he gave a self-deprecating laugh, sitting down on a chair behind him and staring out the window to gaze at the moon.

Taking out his pocket-watch and flipping it open, it was now 5:30 AM, half an hour left, said the clock sitting below the picture of him, Madoka and their parents. Closing it, Tatsuya held the watch by its chain and gazed once more upon his sister, his eyes faintly glowing gold.

"We're going back in time to prevent Homura from becoming a Puella Magi, Sister. To prevent... all of this," Tatsuya stated without stuttering, "Whether or not it will work, we're going to do it. We'll take any chance we can find, Sister. Anything. As long as it means saving you, I'll go through Hell and back, just to see you smile again," standing up, Tatsuya turned to the door, his watch still in hand and his back facing his sister, "Sometimes... I wonder if I got this power because you gave it to me, knowing that a day like this would eventually come. If so, then I promise: I won't let this power go to waste," his hand on the door handle, Tatsuya whispered, "Goodbye, Sister. I'll always love you."

As Tatsuya walked through the doors of his sister's room, and then eventually, the doors to the hospital itself, Sister Miki waited for Tatsuya in her car outside. He got into the vehicle and Sister Miki started up the engine, "Are you alright, Tatsuya?" she asked him firmly, looking at him with a worried look.

This could be the last time Tatsuya ever saw his sister, and he knew it. Whatever happens, things were going to change, for better, or for worst.

"I am," he quietly replied, "I have to be."

* * *

It was finally time. After eating some breakfast, gathering all the money they had and packing up all their luggage, everyone gathered in the dim, musky basement of Tatsuya's house in preparation for their journey. Sayaka had also brought together some Wraith Cubes for them to power their Soul Gems, in case that the Grief Seeds of the past were incompatible with the Soul Gems of this world. With their luggage stacked in one corner, Jean, Meer, Tatsuya and Nagisa stood in the center of the empty room while Nibey sat on a table as things began to start.

Sayaka could tell everyone looked nervous, almost unprepared for what they were about to do, but they put on a brave face to hide their fears. Standing in the corner with crossed arms, Sayaka wished that it didn't have to be like this. She thought to herself that these kids shouldn't have to pay for sins made by those before them. But there was no choice. It was up to them to fix their mistakes and them alone.

"Are you all ready?" Nibey asked them.

Meer and Jean nodded with a hint of hesitation, but they looked determined to go together.

Nagisa, who was distracted by the ring on her finger, gave a simple, "Yes."

Lastly, Tatsuya answered by simply calling forth The Hand onto his right arm, the gauntlet feeling more natural to wear the more he allowed the thing to materialize around his right hand out of thin air.

"So, how exactly are we going to do this?" asked Sayaka, "Freeing this world from Homura and all."

"First of all," Nibey began, knowing this will be lengthy, "We all know that preventing Homura from becoming a Puella Magi has a chance of not affecting this world at all. We all agreed to take that risk, as we considered taking her head on suicide. But, a few minutes ago, I had come up with a contingency plan to increase your chances of success: One way or another, we _lure _Homura into the other world - a universe which she _might _not be have control over reality - and defeat her there," Nibey paused for a second to let the plan settle in their heads and added, "Our plans are all based around 'what-ifs', everyone, with a slim chance of actually working. So this is your last chance. Are you ready?"

No protest arose from any of the Crusaders and Sayaka admired them for their ability to stick with their choice. The look in Tatsuya's eyes, she thought, were the same ones that the Madoka of the past had, the one that had inspired Homura in the first place and fought bravely against Walpurgisnacht to the death. Knowing that Tatsuya was going to lead them with Nagisa at his side, she felt like this quest was in capable hands.

"Then, step forward, Tatsuya. It's time," Nibey said as the others backed away from Tatsuya to give him some room. Tatsuya now stood alone in the center of the basement and diligently performed every action instructed by Nibey, "The orb on the back of The Hand. Click it, then, turn it clock-wise three times, before clicking it again; this will change The Hand into its third function, it's most powerful state."

Doing as he was told, Tatsuya pressed down on the orb on the back of The Hand and each turn changed the orb's color from pink, into a bloody red, and lastly, pure shimmering gold. The Hand suddenly felt heavier as well, its grip on Tatsuya's arm tightening until it practically clung unto his bare skin and dug into his nerves, syncing with him. Tatsuya inhaled sharply from The Hand's intense weight and grip, clicking the orb once more as he was instructed to and saying, "And then?"

"With this, The Hand is at its full power. Simply channel everything you've got into it - and with all your strength - swipe your hand through the air to tear through the fabric of reality and create the portal to your destination. The Hand will bring you there, for sure."

"'Tear through the', what?" Jean and Meer couldn't fathom what they had just heard. They expected The Hand to have some sort of great power, but this sounded insane.

Nagisa gulped and when Tatsuya looked hesitantly at the others, Sayaka gave him an urging look to do it.

Tatsuya looked back at The Hand, his fingers curled into a fist as he took in a deep breath and tried to relax himself. Knowing that The Hand was an experimental prototype, this could end up as a disaster, but if it worked, then it would mark the beginning of their journey. Was it worth of the risk? he thought to himself, closing his eyes.

The answer was "Yes', as Tatsuya's eyes then shot open. Tatsuya focused everything he had into The Hand, pouring every single inch of his energy into his trembling arm as The Hand's emitted a high-pitched ring and began glowing brighter than any other time he had used it. Tatsuya's eyes flared golden with power, and as Tatsuya stomped his foot on the ground, Tatsuya's hand sliced through the air like a blade and left a crescent moon-shaped mark in the air while The Hand emitted a loud, alien buzzing noise that reverberated through the room.

Nothing happened at first, the mark in the air remaining still, until it suddenly and violently expanded into a circular, blue portal that bathed the entire room in bright light. Little things scattered around the basement such as empty creates, cardboard boxes and more were slowly being sucked into the portal from it's weak pull and with that, it was time finally to leave.

Panting for air, Tatsuya dematerialized The Hand from his arm and curiously inserted one hand into the portal. Despite the intimidating look of the dimensional tear, Tatsuya felt like he was simply running his hand through cold water. Pulling his hand back out, Tatsuya turned to Sayaka and walked up to her. Sayaka was taken aback when he suddenly hugged her, saying, "Take care of yourself, Sister Miki," he patted her on the shoulder and looked to Nibey, "Thank you, Nibey. We wouldn't have done this without your help."

"You're very welcome," Nibey chuckled.

"Be careful, alright?" Sayaka added, "Good luck."

Packing up their things, the Crusaders stood at the entrance of the portal, ready to jump in. Jean and Meer were the first as they took a careful leap into the portal and vanished without a trace. Nagisa was next, and after she too gave Sayaka a hug, she ran into the portal with a smile and disappeared. Tatsuya was the last to go, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he took readied himself for what was too come, when suddenly, Sayaka and Nibey felt the presence of Akemi Homura alert their senses. Sayaka gasped, as they could hear the front door upstairs forcibly burst open, with Nibey sensing the presence of an immense amount of magic upstairs.

Sayaka turned to Tatsuya and shouted, "Go!"

"What about-?!"

"I said go!"

Knowing that Sayaka prioritized Tatsuya over herself, Tatsuya jumped into the portal without looking back and was carried off to his destination. Quickly, before Nibey could protest, Sayaka picked up him up and ran back to the stairwell where, on the side of the wall, was a laundry chute big enough to fit them. Sayaka and Madoka had used this before to hide during their childhood games a lot, so Sayaka quickly gripped the rusty handle, flipped it open and jumped in.

The laundry chute was smaller than she had remembered, but Sayaka managed to cram herself in. Sweat trickled down her face, covering her mouth and nose with her hand to avoid breathing in the dust that filled the entire compartment. With Nibey in her arms, Sayaka held her breath as heard the stairwell door break open, followed by the footsteps of multiple people descending the stairwell in a hurry.

Sayaka closed her eyes tight, hoping that they don't get discovered.

And when the footsteps finanlly faded, Sayaka was about to sigh in relief, until she froze as she heard one more person descend down the stairs in a slow, paced-out manner. The louder it got, the faster Sayaka's heart began to beat as Nibey sensed an unholy amount of magic right outside the chute door. Thankfully, those footsteps too faded away and the two could finally relax. But, they had other problems to deal with as Nibey pointed out, "The portal needs time to close," he whispered in an urgent tone, "We _need_ to distract Homura before she sends her own Puella Magi after Tatsuya and the others."

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Sayaka closed her eyes and lied her head on the laundry chute wall. She knew what she could and had to do, but she wasn't going to like it in the slightest. Then again, this was going to be something Madoka would have tried in the first place, and something Sayaka should have done a long, long time ago, "Stay here," Sayaka said to Nibey before opening up the chute door and climbing out. She closed the door tight before Nibey could say anything else, and as Sayaka took a moment to steel herself, Sayaka materialized one of her cutlasses into her hand and sprinted back to where the portal was.

"Homura!"

Standing at the basement entrance, Sayaka froze at the sight of Homura, her back facing her as she stood in front of the portal whilst guarded by several cloaked, armed figures. They pointed their various weapons at her the moment they spotted her, but Sayaka remained calm and readied her blade to defend herself if she had to. Homura didn't even turn back to her as she spoke, sounding unsurprised by her appearance.

"Miki Sayaka. I expected you to be involved in this. You always were the suspicious one."

Despite the numerous weapons visibly trained on her, Sayaka took a careful step towards Homura, her cutlass prepared to shed blood in case one of them tried anything, "Look at me, Homura," Sayaka demanded, "Face me."

"And why should I?" Homura mused.

Sayaka gripped her cutlass handle tight, stopping in her tracks, and in a sincere tone, she answered, "Because I want to see the face of Akemi Homura - the real Akemi Homura - _not _The Devil."

As the portal continued to flood the room with blue light, Homura remained silent, the scarf around her neck fluttering from the weak pull of the dimensional tear in front of her. Then, Homura gestured her guards to stand down as they all lowered their weapons without question in robotic-like unison. Slowly, Homura turned around to look at Sayaka face-to-face, a intense glare shooting directly at the blue Puella Magi as Homura promptly took off the scarf around her neck to showcase the mark the Maidens had left on her. A mark that made Sayaka grimace from how severe and borderline fatal it looked. The scarf fell to the floor and Homura fully turned around with her back to the portal.

"Akemi Homura is gone," Homura coldly stated, "She sentenced herself to a life of Hell, and all that's left now is The Devil that everyone labels me as, Miki Sayaka."

Frowning, Sayaka lowered her blade and approached her, staying collected under the eyes of so many Puella Magi that watched her every move, "You know that's not true, Homura," she denounced her claim, "You know that you could stop all of this now if you simply let go of Madoka. You know that you're hurting her and you know that it's the only way to _fix_ all of this," at this point, Sayaka now stood in front of Homura, the two now centimeters apart from each other with the portal slowly shrinking behind them, "Homura... I know you're in there. If it was The Devil that stood in front of me, then you would have killed me the moment you saw me..."

Homura took a step back, her eyes widening for a moment as stunned silence overwhelmed her.

She then lowered her head, avoiding Sayaka's gaze, and whispered, "It's too late."

"No. It never is," Sayaka disagreed with a shake of her head, "Homura... _please_... don't make the same mistake again... let us help you this time," at this point, Sayaka was practically begging her to not sentence herself to damnation when something could be actually done to help her. Homura's refusal to work with anyone during the Incubator Dreamworld Incident had caused all of this in the first place, and at the same time, simply created another dream-world where Homura was about to make the same mistake. Sayaka did not want it to end the same way.

As the two Puella Magi stood in front of each other, Sayaka ignored all the guards around Homura and just focused on her. Her alone. Because right now, she could feel that it was truly Akemi Homura that stood in front of her, not The Devil, as when their eyes met again, Homura was on the brink of tears. Her shoulders were beginning to shake. Her once-proud voice was suddenly trembling. With the closing portal behind her showering her back with light, Sayaka looked into Homura's amethyst eyes and sensed everything Homura had gone through with just one look.

"... I've been through nothing but torment... pain... suffering..." Homura uttered, her voice cracking, "I've done nothing but committed sins in Madoka's name... killed in her name... and I've shed the blood of thousands just to preserve this world-" Her hand caressed the scar on her neck, and with a look of utter defeat, Homura pleaded, "Please, I want to be free from all of this. Help me... Help me decide on what to do... Will you?" her shaky begging was answered by the sound of Sayaka's cutlass dropping to the floor as Sayaka extended a helping hand, a small smile growing on Homura's face.

"I'll do anything to help, Homura."

Homura lifted one hand from her side to reach for Sayaka, her shaking hand desiring to grasp Sayaka's offer to be free of this pain.

Then, the portal behind Homura finally closed and almost immediately, the room was once more plunged straight into darkness. Sayaka waited for Homura to take her hand, hoping that she would make the right choice. But as Homura's shaking hand neared her fingers, the sudden arrival of one of Homura's guards with Nibey struggling and shouting in her grip caused Sayaka to pick up her blade once more and flung it at the guard. The blade flew straight into the cloaked figure's chest and her lifeless body fell to the floor as Nibey broke free, "Nibey, run!"

As the Incubator escaped up the stairwell with Homura's guards firing at him, Sayaka suddenly felt Homura seize her by the throat and was lifted into the air with one hand. It was there that Sayaka knew she had failed, as Homura had an expression of despair, rage and utter betrayal as Sayaka could barely breathe under her intense grip, "You're working with the Incubators?" Homura hissed between clenched teeth, "I knew it... I knew better than to trust you of all people, Miki Sayaka. I was such a fool to believe your lies."

"Homura-! It's not-!"

"Be quiet!" she tightened her grip to silence her.

Turning to where the portal previously was, Homura outstretched her hand and attempted to forcibly open the exact same portal using what was left of her power. Homura struggled as she started sweating profusely, and as the portal started crackling into existence, Homura struggled to keep it open for as long as she could once it reopened at merely half it's size.

"Go," Homura said to her guards, who all jumped straight into the summoned portal while the rest went up the stairs to pursue Nibey. After the portal abruptly closed itself, Homura glared into Sayaka's eyes and declared, "I will not kill you, since that will only sadden Kyouko and cause unnecessary problems for me. But, if you try to interfere again, Miki Sayaka, I will _kill_ you without a second thought."


	14. Chapter 13: A Crusader's Arrival

The last thing Tatsuya could remember after jumping into the portal was a bright light bathing him while a strange sensation of warmth ran through his body. Tatsuya could breathe, despite how he felt like was submerged in deep waters. Everything felt heavy and Tatsuya had no will to open his eyes due to the comfortable sensation weighing down on his body. It felt like he was being gently carried through a river. That is, until Tatsuya felt himself thrown from his deep sleep and felt the cold, hard granite he landed on scraping his cheek upon impact.

Tatsuya weakly muttered something under his breath. Still feeling like he had just awaken from a deep sleep, Tatsuya felt two other Crusaders pull him up to his feet, dusting him off as the group saw that they had arrived in a random alleyway in town. Thankfully, the portal did not spawn in a crowded area where they would attract attention, some place far from the city like the outskirts, or even on top of the large, open dumpster that was sitting right next to them.

Looking back at the portal, the large tear in the fabric of reality had already been sealed shut and Tatsuya let out a small sigh of relief before picking up his bag from the floor. Slinging it over his shoulder, Tatsuya hoped that Sister Miki and Nibey were alright and that they had escaped before anything had happened.

"You think we're actually in Mitakihara?" Nagisa spoke up, checking the contents of their luggage on the floor with Meer for anything that was missing.

Without hesitating, Jean stuck his arm into the dumpster right next to them, much to the group's disgust, and fished out a decaying newspaper among the trash to read what he could find. He flattened the crumbled newspaper on the floor and read what he could make of the words, "Mitakihara Bulletin. April... 17th...? 2012," Jean gave a mixed look of relief and amazement at the others and Tatsuya knew that they had arrived at their proper destination, "Man, this is heavy," Jean murmured, rubbing his temples and then throwing the newspaper back in the dumpster.

"We _are_ here," Tatsuya uttered, looking at the alley entrance ahead of them and the small glimpses of people passing by.

"The old Mitakihara..." Nagisa gulped. She was nervous, but an encouraging nod from Meer made her feel a bit better.

After making sure all of their belongings were intact, they all took a deep breath in unison and slowly, they stepped out of the dark alley they stood in.

Tatsuya's hand held onto his backpack strap tightly, and as the Crusaders stepped into the light of the old Mitakihara, they were greeted by an enormous crowd of people heading in all directions as they found themselves right in the middle of Mitakihara's Downtown Plaza: towering buildings and skyscrapers that reached out in an attempt to pierce the skies, advertisements on every surface you looked, and a monorail passing by overhead, the streets were filled with tourists, businessmen and students as far as the eye could see.

At first glance, it didn't look all that different from their Mitakihara, but the atmosphere, aura and everything else all radiated a different sort of feeling that immediately told them that they were not in their world anymore.

Tatsuya reached for the holographic map of Mitakihara he brought with him, but hesitated to use it as soon as he grabbed it. In case that would attract attention and since he had no idea whether or not those things had been invented yet, the group looked for the nearest map of town meant for tourists. The group proceeded through the crowds of people as the sun shone behind some clouds in the sky, and when the group managed to find one map that wasn't crowded with people, they gathered around it to discuss their first steps.

"First thing's first," Tatsuya began, tracing his finger around town to different locations, "Nagi, you and Meer need to go find a place for us to stay in. A cheap hotel will do, but we need a place which we can at least have some privacy in. When you find one, meet us... here," he pointed a specific location which was a fair distance from the Mitakihara middle-school and the hotel districts.

"Got it," Nagisa and Meer nodded.

"Jean and I will head to the school after we change into our uniforms. When we reach there, we'll try and confirm Homura's location before we try to keep tabs on her at all times. Any questions?"

"You think we'd be able blend in that easily in school?" Jean wondered, leaning on the giant map, "I mean, you _do_ remember that I didn't get the most warm welcome when I first arrived here, right? Being a foreigner and all?"

Tatsuya tapped his fingers on the map, thinking before answering, "We'll see how things play out first, Jean. We don't know how exactly different this Mitakihara is from ours. Things change over a decade, after all."

Jean pocketed his hands and shrugged, "Whatever you say."

"Then let's get started."

Now that the orders were given out, the two boys headed into the nearest restrooms and changed into their school uniforms, passing their previous clothing and their bags to the girls who then headed off to go find a decent place to reside in. Everything still felt alien to the two boys, and to Tatsuya and Jean right now, their school uniforms were the only thing that felt familiar to them. It was going to take a while to get used to this Mitakihara, but at least they had brought back some objects from their time to keep them comfortable.

Climbing up the large stairs to the train station, the two boys looked like any other student in town and perfectly blended into the crowd. No one was thankfully staring at them, yet, at least, and as they approached the ticket vending machine, it looked pretty similar to the ones they had back home. Minus the holographic scanners meant for credit cards, it was easy as taking out some spare change, inserting some Yen into the machine and buying two tickets for the local train. Tatsuya was absolutely relieved that it wasn't all that different back then.

After buying their tickets, the pair went through the usual automatic ticket-gates and proceeded to wait at their designated platform among other groups of people.

"Well, that was easy enough," Jean remarked, rolling his shoulders while they waited for the train, "I'm surprised that Mitakihara didn't really look at all that different ten years ago. You- Tatsuya?" he noticed that his friend was staring off into the distance and the boy snapped out of it once Jean called his name a second time, "What's wrong? You don't usually daydream without a book in your hand."

"Oh, it's nothing," Tatsuya shook his head, "It's just... I can't help but feel like we're being followed."

Looking at the crowd around them, Jean found no one that looked any different from any normal person and patted Tatsuya on the back. Thinking his friend was just overwhelmed by all of this dimensional-travel shtick, Jean simply whistled a small tune as they waited for the train, his friend beside him checking his pocket-watch to see how much time they had left before school would start. But among the crowd, Jean had failed to notice one girl wearing the Mitakihara school uniform that had her eyes glued to the pair.

* * *

Nagisa had lost track of how much time she had spent looking for a hotel they could stay in as she and Meer searched everywhere - bags in hand - underneath the heat of the dreaded summer sun. She had first found some dirt-cheap hotels that looked inadequate for anymore than two-to-three nights, then a few love hotels which she seemed to run into a lot more often than she would like, and lastly tourists hotels that probably cost an arm and a leg to even stay for one night in. Eventually, Nagisa and Meer had found a decent hotel located near a convenience store and a park before fatigue caught up to both of them.

The 'hotel' though, was really more of an inn, and it was ran by this generous old lady and her husband. While tatami straw-mats and other traditional furniture weren't exactly that kind of stuff you'd find at a place for a stake-out, they weren't complaining since the cost wasn't too high, there was clean water, and there wasn't anybody around to bother them while they worked. They practically had the place all to themselves.

"Oh my _God_, finally!" Nagisa exclaimed in gratuitous English as she collapsed on her futon and buried her face in her pillow after freshening herself up. While she had been taking a shower to wash away all the sweat on her body, Meer had been unpacking all of their stuff and even bought some food from the convenience store nearby.

Nagisa heard Meer tapping on the straw-mat to get her attention and she turned her head to see Meer offering her a much-needed can of Cola.

The sight of her favorite drink got her to sit upright in a flash and Nagisa popped open the can with one hand, "Thanks," quenching her thirst in one go, Meer did nothing but curiously look at Nagisa behind those glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose. With nothing else in the inn making a sound, Nagisa awkwardly drank her Cola while Meer continued to stare at her with child-like interest.

The first sound was made by an empty can landing in the dust bin, the second, by Nagisa herself as she cleared her throat loudly and lied back on her futon. Nagisa scrambled her mind for something to talk about to fill the silence, since, well, Meer couldn't exactly do that herself.

Eyeing the things around the room, Nagisa went from looking at the flickering lights above her head, to the small fan spinning in the corner, the bags of food that sat in the other corner of the room, and then, unintentionally, the scars on Meer's neck, hidden behind that scarf of hers. Nagisa turned away from them, pursing her lips as she wondered if Meer had noticed her staring. Getting very uncomfortable with the silence, Nagisa spoke the first thing that came to mind, "Say... Meer, you mind if I ask you something?"

The blue-haired girl nodded before rummaging through her small bag and taking out her worn-out pad and pen. She gestured Nagisa with one hand to continue as she flipped the pad open to writer down her replies.

Sitting upright again, Nagisa drummed her fingers on the tatami mat, the tip Meer's pen already being pressed onto her pad in wait, "So... um..." Nagisa scratched her cheek, "How _did _you become a Magical Girl, anyway...? You're pretty young to be doing this sort of stuff, and yet you look pretty used to all of this. Y-You don't have to tell me, though, if you don't want to! If it's something you wanna keep to yourself, that's fine with me."

Like she had expected, Meer kept her hand completely still on the pad as she visibly pondered about what to write down. Nagisa understood that it was a big question to ask, so she gave her a few minutes and waited until she finally heard the scratching sounds of pen on paper. She was showed the words: "They found me when I was young. I was 6 or 7 when I joined. They taught me everything I know since then."

Nagisa was taken aback by how young Meer was when she became a Puella Magi. 6-7 years-old, the familiar number echoed through her mind. Nagisa herself was almost the exact same age when she made her wish and went through the very... short time she had as a Puella Magi. Swallowing the spit in her throat, Nagisa further asked, "Did... Did you have a family?"

Meer kept still once more, before she simply nodded and wrote down once again, "They found me, and only me. They said they couldn't find the rest of my family. What they found, could not be saved. I survived, but not without a cost," to emphasize that 'cost', Meer gestured to her throat, staring at the floor as Nagisa suddenly felt a bit guilty about prying into someone else's past. But Meer herself didn't look that upset at all, as if the price she paid just to survive was a cheap one.

"I'm sorry."

She heard Meer slide her pad across the mat, and the words on it were simply, "Don't be. I was happy with the Maidens. I had people I could call family there."

Nagisa smiled a little and wondered about how life with the Maidens must have been, "What were their names?"

Meer then wrote down no more than two names, "Selena Bismarck and Regina Ghiaccio."

'Selena' and 'Regina', Nagisa basically put these names into her memory. Those two must've been good people if Meer had chosen their names out of the hundreds that undoubtedly filled the ranks of the Maidens of Battle. And with that, Nagisa suddenly took Meer's hands into her own and curiously asked, "Hey, you said that you joined the Maidens when you were young, right? Well, did you ever spend time outside of Magical Girl stuff?" she got a slow shake of a head in reply, "Alright! Then why don't we go shopping then? Since Tatsuya and Jean are still busy, why don't we go see what this Mitakihara is like before we go meet up with Tatsuya?"

Meer positively beamed at the concept of simply hanging out, as if the concept of shopping for clothes and other normal girl stuff was foreign to her. Taking up her pad, she wrote down something, but when a loud growl coming from her stomach came, she cancelled out the words she had written down and replaced it with a simple, "Can we eat something?"

"Sure!"

* * *

"Man, this is just... weird..."

"For once, Jean, I very much agree with you..."

As the two boys stood in front of the tall gates to their school, it felt utterly surreal to see people they had previously met and were introduced to as adults pass by them looking no older, or even maybe younger than they were. They recognized several people they've met in their town before, but thankfully, they had not yet run into Sayaka, Mami, Kyouko or even Madoka. Still, they had to keep an eye out for them, and they could see the occasional student glancing at the sight of a foreigner in their school uniform as Jean stuck out like a tall, sore thumb.

"Act natural, Jean," Tatsuya whispered to him, "We're just here to find Homura."

"And how long can we do that before we get caught by a hall monitor or council student member?"

"I'll think of something if we get caught. Come on."

Assuring him that they would be alright, the pair joined the other students entering the school as they walked through the gates that looked no different from the one back in their own world. The bell had also yet to rung, so they still had some time to find Homura before classes started. Stepping through the familiar, yet, alien doors to their school, the two quickly swiped some indoor shoes from two lockers when nobody was looking and stepped into the school lobby.

Jean took a while to find a pair of shoes that could fit, but now that they were inside, the two felt a bit more calm about getting into the school. Most of the students were minding their own business, either heading up the spiral stairs in the middle of the lobby to head to class, or just loitering and chatting around the corridors and hallways with their friends.

Tatsuya scanned the faces of every student in sight, attempting to pick out anyone he could recognize and most especially, Homura. All he had to do was find a girl with long, black hair and a calm demeanor, but even that was harder than it sounded, "Split up. You take the ground floors, I'll check the upper levels," he told Jean, "We meet back here when the bell rings. If we can't find her today, we try again tomorrow."

"I hear you."

Then, the two went their separate ways as Jean headed into the hallways which lead to the club-rooms and the mess hall, while Tatsuya headed up the staircase to go check out the classrooms and auditorium. Tatsuya wandered through the familiar architecture, searching high and low to find Homura as fast as he could and beginning with the hallways where all the classrooms were located. In it, the place was filled with students rushing to their class, bantering among one another about tests or just chatting about the latest gossip in school. Tatsuya tried to avoid any eye contact and remained low, even when he noticed some girls eyeing him or a teacher glancing at his direction.

"Did you hear? Teacher Saotome's having relationship issues again."

"Hey, I need those notes to study!"

"I-I do nothave a crush on her, goddammit!"

"I pray to God that Teacher Kuragawa postpones that P.E test of his."

"Oh man, I forgot to bring my homework..."

Stopping in his tracks right the middle of a crowded hallway, the familiar buzz of a school made Tatsuya pause for a second as students scuffled past him. The boy stared down at the marble floor, which reflected his face and even allowed him to see the wistful expression that he had been wearing for a while now. It had not yet even been a day, and yet he's already feeling a bit homesick. Pathetic, he thought to himself as he uttered an annoyed "Give me a break," under his breath and continued walking through the crowd to find a more quiet place.

After a few minutes of aimless walking, Tatsuya wandered into an area devoid of people. The sunlight shone through the window and casted its light on his figure as it was quiet enough for Tatsuya to hear his footsteps. With no one around to distract him, Tatsuya took the moment to ease up and shake the thoughts of home away from his mind. He was on a mission right now, and thinking about home would only distract him. Leaning on the railing, the floor he was on was at least two levels above ground, and it was this kind of atmosphere that would perfect for reading a book if had one.

"Hmm?" Tatsuya's ears caught something faint. A faint voice echoed in his ear. An angelic voice that reverberated off the walls as it gently, softly, sang a song. Tatsuya subconsciously listened to this tune, turning his head left and right to find the bearer of this voice.

With one hand on the railing, Tatsuya walked alongside it in an attempt to find the person singing, having no control of his feet that seemed to move almost by themselves. But after a minute or so, the voice halted, and once more Tatsuya was left alone with the sounds of silence.

Tatsuya looked around and saw that the place was still empty. Maybe a bit _too _empty.

In his hand, Tatsuya instinctively manifested one of the gadgets that had been included in his arsenal of magical tools: a small, ornate climbing pick attached to a chain which was then clipped onto his belt. Nibey told him it could be used as a grappling hook or even a weapon, but before Tatsuya could even materialize his bow into his hand as well, a speeding object suddenly grazed Tatsuya's leg and sent him reeling onto the railing in pain as he lost his footing. Snapping at the direction it came from object, another one came and it was in the form of emerald gems that instead struck the railing and crumpled them like paper, sending Tatsuya quickly falling off the floor.

Tatsuya reflexively threw the climbing pick at the nearest object he could see.

The next thing he felt was his arm nearly dislocating itself from its socket and a hard landing that knocked him unconscious.

* * *

Carrying bags full of clothes in both hands, Nagisa hummed a tune to herself as she and Meer walked through the crowded streets of the city. Meer held onto the older girl's sleeve with one hand as they headed back to the inn, her other hand holding the fourth crepe she had eaten today. Since they had spent quite a bit of time shopping for clothes and food already, Nagisa wondered if the two had found Homura yet. The two could actually even be waiting to already meet up with her.

On their way back, Nagisa stopped in front of a certain store, halting abruptly in her steps to gaze into its windows, "This is...?" she felt Meer tug on her sleeve and Nagisa noticed the bespectacled girl giving her a curious tilt with her head, "Oh, sorry. It's just-" Nagisa chuckled, a small longing smile growing on her face, "Tatsuya and I used to come here a lot when we were kids before it closed down. Closed down back at home, I mean. It sure brings back a lot of memories seeing it again."

Curious about this, Meer looked into the windows and saw that it was a simple bookstore, an old one at that. It didn't look like it had many customers in it, but it looked quiet and peaceful on the inside. Meer gestured if Nagisa wanted to go in, almost insisting that she did with another tug on her sleeve.

"Well," Nagisa scratched her cheek, "I guess it can't hurt to check it out for a bit. Heh. You wanna buy another crepe, Meer?"

She got an excited nod in response.

* * *

Tatsuya winced as he felt like he could barely move from the fall. He may have had enhanced regenerative abilities after becoming a Puerum Magi, but falling from that height still did a number on him: One arm dislocated and one leg bleeding, he thought to himself about how long that would take for him to heal to heal up without manually applying his Soul Gem. And as he laid unconscious on the floor, Tatsuya could hear faint voices in his ringing ears. Most likely hallucinations, the boy thought.

"... Hey, you alright?" he felt a hand shake him, "How did he even fall down here...?"

"We should take him to the nurse. He's been hurt really badly..."

It took a minute for to Tatsuya to realize that these weren't his imagination, and not only that, they sounded very familiar. Managing to finally awaken, the light coming through the window in front of him blinded in his eyes and Tatsuya let out a low groan of pain. Then, as soon as his vision began to clear, Tatsuya went silent from shock at the sight of both Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka standing over him. He must have been hit hard on the head of the hallucinations also affected his sight, but he knew that wasn't the case.

"Oh, he's awake!"

"A-Are you alright? You took a really bad fall there."

Tatsuya blinked, slowly sitting upright and causing another lash of pain to rise in his abdomen.

"Easy there!" Sayaka put a firm hand on his shoulder, "Geez, you're lucky that you're even conscious. You're gonna have to lay down for a bit after taking a fall like that," her hand still on his shoulder, Sayaka turned to Madoka and said, "Well, he's awake now. I guess we bring him to Miss Narita to patch him up? His leg's bleeding pretty badly there."

Madoka nodded in agreement, "Of course. But-" she brought a finger to her chin and Tatsuya started to feel nervous when she suddenly knelt down next to him and started looking closely at his face. He could feel her eyes examine him head to toe, and not for injuries at all - but she looked like she could faintly recognize him, "Have we... met before? I feel like I've, well, seen you before."

"Well, you've got a point there, Madoka. He _does _look kinda familiar," Sayaka crossed her arms over her chest in thought, "Have we met in P.E class before?"

Beads of sweat began to appear on Tatsuya's face as he tried to avoid their focused gazes. One thing he always remembered hearing a lot from Madoka and her friends, was that Tatsuya bore a very strong similarity to how his older sister looked like when she was younger. Besides the darker shade of pink for hair and a few more masculine features, Tatsuya looked almost exactly like a young Kaname Madoka.

"No. We haven't," Tatsuya insisted, "I-I'm an old student here and I just graduated last year. I thought I'd come by to visit for a bit, but I guess I took a bad step and slipped," he hoped that would sound convincing enough, and from their softening expressions, at least Sayaka looked like she bought his story. Madoka did as well, but he could still see her glancing curiously at him.

"Oh, OK then. The name's Miki Sayaka!" she happily introduced herself as she helped Tatsuya up to his feet, "My friend here is Madoka. What's your name?"

"Ka-" Tatsuya held back his tongue and gulped, earning two curious looks from the girls as he very nearly blew his cover by instinct, "Katsuo," was the name he quickly came up with by combining his mother's first name and their last name, putting on a small, quick smile as well, "Katsuo Tomohisa. Pleased to meet your acquaintance," he wondered if using his father's name as well would spell trouble, but it was too late for that now.

Madoka giggled, "Well, it's now to meet you, too."

Sayaka had Tatsuya's arm around her shoulder as she supported the boy to help him walk. But before the three could leave for the Nurse's Office, the sounds of footsteps descending the staircase behind them caught their attention. These slow footsteps echoed through the empty halls, and accompanying it, was a suave, soothing voice that uttered the words, "Do you three require any help?"

Tatsuya snapped behind him, and descending the stairs was a student of their school, or at least someone that bore the uniform. Reaching the base of the stairs, the girl wore a set of red, cherry earrings and her bob-cut style hair was as red as the blood dripping from Tatsuya's leg. The girl approached the three, having noticed said bleeding as she pulled out a small handkerchief from her pockets to be used as a dressing for that wound.

"We're fine, but thanks, anyway," Sayaka took the handkerchief and tied it around Tatsuya's bleeding wound while Madoka held him up, "I don't think I've see you around here before, though," Sayaka said to the girl, dusting her hands, "You new here?"

"Very much so," the girl answered with a nod, "Mitsuyo. Mitsuyo Midori. I've just transferred here, so I'm very new to the school and how it works."

Tatsuya sent a suspicious glare towards the girl, and in return, Midori gave him a sly smirk that made him tense him up a bit. There was something about the girl he couldn't put his finger on, and even Madoka looked like she was suspicious of her, "If you're new here, then you should see the Council President, Mitsuyo," Madoka advised her, doing very well in her hidden attempt to tell her off, "President Morikawa would be happy to answer any questions you have. Her office is down that way," she pointed down a specific corridor and Midori smiled.

"Thank you for the directions. I was wondering where the council room was. Now then..." Midori glanced at the bleeding Tatsuya once more and then turned on her heel, "I'll see you later, Miki, _Kaname_. It's been a pleasure meeting all of you," and with that, the red-head went off to her own devices as both Madoka and Tatsuya let out small sighs of relief at seeing her go.

'Mitsuyo Midori', the name repeated in Tatsuya's mind. He's going to have to keep an eye on her from now on, because if it was one thing Tatsuya definitely knew: they were **not** the only ones that had went through that portal.

* * *

**Crusaders Stat Sheet**

**Name: Nagisa Momoe**

**Tarot Card: The Hermit**

**Power: A**

**Speed: C**

**Durability: C**

**Precision: A**

**Abilities: The Hermit's Trumpet - Using her old bubble-blowing trumpet as Nagisa still has her old Puella Magi gear, her trumpet is once more capable of unleashing explosive bubbles that can blow apart even vehicles. Despite being in another world, Nagisa still retains her some of her abilities as an Angel of Madoka to summon Witch Familiars. This puts a lot of strain on her, even just by summoning a mere Anthony or Adelbert, let alone the giant worm-creature, Sebastian. To make for this, Nagisa uses her keen eyes, clever tricks and "indy ploys" to win in a fight.**


	15. Chapter 14: The Hierophant VS The Star

On the way to the Nurse's Office, Tatsuya had remained dead silent among the two girls as the three took a decently-long time to get their location. Keeping an eye out for Homura as they passed by other students of the school in the hallways, the two girls talked among each other almost non-stop to kill the time and any question directed at Tatsuya was answered quickly and almost abruptly.

Tatsuya knew that it would be dangerous right now to get close to these two if he was being targeted by Future Homura's hired Puella Magi. He did not know whether or not if they would attack him in the presence of these two, but he couldn't risk it. He had to stay far away from them as possible unless he needed not to. Ever since that encounter with Midori, Tatsuya couldn't help but glare suspiciously at any student in sight that wasn't Homura. If they had already infiltrated the school, there was no telling how many of them there were.

"And here we are!" Sayaka exclaimed when the door to the Nurse's Office was finally in sight. Madoka slid the door open for them and Sayaka carried Tatsuya into the office, calling out to the nurse, "Miss Narita! You got a visitor. Doesn't look too bad, but he's still pretty beaten up."

In the sterile, white office, Tatsuya could pick up a faint, lingering scent of coffee in the air and heard some scuffling from the nurse's desk. Only one of the many beds seemed to be occupied and shut off, as Sayaka let Tatsuya down on the closest one to them. From the nurse's work corner, a woman with unkempt, brown hair and a stained lab coat stepped out of her area with a mug in hand. The woman looked like she hadn't received any sleep for days and was barely being kept awake by the cup of caffeine in her hands.

"Who's this?" asked Miss Narita, finishing up her mug and placing it down on the nearest surface.

"This is Katsuo Tomohisa. We found him after he took a really bad fall from one of the upper floors, so we brought him here to you," Madoka explained to the nurse as the woman fetched some medicine from a nearby cabinet, "We'll leave him to you, since we have to head to class right now."

"Sure, sure," the nurse casually replied in a low tone, still rummaging through her disorganized cabinet while muttering something to herself in annoyance.

Sayaka clapped Tatsuya on the shoulder and flashed him a smile and a thumbs up, "Alright, we gotta get going. Take it easy, alright? We'll see ya when we see ya!"

"S-Sure," Tatsuya stammered, waving the two goodbye as they then left the Nurse's Office. With them gone, he felt relieved. The two didn't need to be caught in a crossfire between him and a Puella Magi who may or may not even care for collateral damage. But now that he was alone with in a room with another civilian, Tatsuya still had to watch to keep an eye out for enemies. With him being patched up in an isolated area, he was now even more vulnerable to attack.

"So," Miss Narita spoke up, filling up the silence in the room before it could creep in any further, "How did you end up here? I don't get kids in my office just because they slipped down some stairs very often. You mind telling me how that happened?" taking out some medicine, medical dressing and other stuff from the cabinet, the nurse kicked it closed and sat on a stool in front of Tatsuya to place the medicine down on a table. She held up Tatsuya's leg and began examining his injury first.

"Well, you could say that the railing had some structural problems," Tatsuya half-jokingly said to ease up the awkwardness and tension in the room, "I assume today just wasn't my lucky day."

The nurse seemed to appreciate the bit of humor, a small smile appearing on her dreary expression as she untied the handkerchief around Tatsuya's leg to replace it with proper dressing, "Heh. I don't usually see people that joke about getting an injury like this. It makes me think this happens a lot to you, but then I'd see you a lot more often if that was the case."

"Stuff like this happens more out of school," Tatsuya laughed. He wasn't lying as most injuries he got often came from the reckless rides he got with Nagi. Too many to count, too many to remember, "This would be the first time it happened in school actually. I- Ow!" he winced when Miss Narita started applying the medicine and found the feeling a bit more sudden than painful, "I'm still all that used to pain, though."

As Tatsuya waited for the nurse to finish patching him up, he enjoyed the little small talk between them since it was a good way to pass the clock. Looking around the room out of curiosity, Tatsuya spotted a small picture frame on Miss Narita's desk, a black flower in a vase placed right next to it. The sight of that alone was enough to explain the school nurse's almost depressing attitude.

"Well, you'd be surprised by how used you can get to pain," the nurse continued, wrapping up the dressing around the boy's injured leg, "I had a kid once. Around your age. Everyday he would walk in here at least once or twice, and he'd just smile and laugh as I patched him up. It didn't matter how bad the wound would be. He'd just laugh it off," once she was done, she patted Tatsuya on the leg, stood up and pocketed her hands. Her expression turned dour very quickly like when Tatsuya had entered the room and from her pockets, she took out what looked like a cigarette packet, "Get some rest. You can leave around lunch break."

Tatsuya quietly accepted her advice and lied back down on the bed while the nurse went back to her desk corner. She closed the curtains surrounding her work station and Tatsuya could once more pick up the scent of coffee, this time, accompanied by the faint smell of smoke.

The Nurse's Office became very quiet again, and noise only returned when Tatsuya saw the door slide open once more for Jean himself to cautiously walk into the room, "Jean? Did you find Homura-?" Tatsuya couldn't finish his words when the Frenchman suddenly put his hand over his mouth and hushed him with the other. Jean looked like he, too, had been attacked as he looked around the room first before speaking.

"Listen here, Tatsuya," Jean whispered, closing the curtains around them to give them some privacy, "I heard you were here, so I came rushing as soon as I could. I didn't find Homura, but, you were attacked too, weren't you?" he asked, pointing at Tatsuya's injury which was slowly getting better.

Tatsuya nodded, Jean's hand still covering his mouth.

"Knew it. Barely got out myself. I didn't see who or what was it that attacked me, but I think it'd be a really good idea right now if we both bail out of here for a bit before someone other than us gets hurt," Jean pulled away his hand from Tatsuya's mouth and helped him up to his feet, "Think you can walk?"

Tatsuya planted his foot on the ground and felt that he could at least walk without feeling any pain due to his enhanced regeneration doing its job well. His arm had recovered as well from that fall and he was in a good shape overall, "I can. But, Jean, I have something to tell you. The person that attacked us... I think I-" Tatsuya then noticed Miss Narita's silhouette slowly moving behind the curtain, and as Jean's back faced the thin, white sheet, Tatsuya's eyes widened with shock at the sight of the stool that the nurse suddenly raised above her head, "Jean!"

* * *

The sound of metal impacting upon the back of Jean's head echoed through the room, and in one blow, the blonde was knocked unconscious as he collapsed face-first onto the floor.

Miss Narita shivered between her labored breathing, dropping the metal stool in her hand onto the floor and taking out a large surgical knife from her coat. Tatsuya was deeply disturbed by the nurse's mannequin-like movements as she stumbled towards him, Tatsuya backing away slowly as the nurse twitched like an erratic puppet on strings, "Mis Narita, what are you doing?!"

The nurse lunged at him like an animal and shoved him against the wall as the surgical knife hovered centimeters away from Tatsuya's eye, Tatsuya's arms doing their best to keep the nurse's arms away. This wasn't an ordinary woman's strength at all, Tatsuya thought, trying to break free from her iron grip. With the nurse breathing down on his face, he could see his reflection upon the knife's metal surface, and in the corner of his eyes, Tatsuya spotted something behind Miss Narita. The boy slowly pushed the knife away from his face and adjusted his head to see the several green tendrils that were sprouting from the floor like plants and drilled into the nurse's back.

Tatsuya growled under his breath and at the top of his lungs, he shouted, "Mitsuyo Midori! You're in here somewhere, aren't you?!"

"A correct guess, Kaname Tatsuya!"

Midori revealed herself as the curtain surrounding the bed she sat on was pulled to the sides by two green tendrils. Her chin sat on tented fingers and Midori held a sly smirk on her face as her feet were seemingly rooted into the ground. Replacing the school uniform she wore earlier was a sleeve-less shirt with luminous trims and a hood with jewelry sewed into it. Her tight pants had the same sort of gems decorating her hood and she wore a pair of tall riding-boots that reached up to her knees while wearing a pair of white, leathery gloves.

"Short time no see," Midori mused, "I had a feeling that you two were going to find out eventually, but I guess that making my move now wasn't such a bad idea after all."

Tatsuya gasped for air, Miss Narita's surgical knife once more looming close to his face as he felt her strength increasing instead of vice-versa, "You were hired by Homura to do her dirty work, weren't you?! What did you did to Miss Narita?!"

"How rude. I'm just doing what's needed, of course," Midori chuckled with a finger on her lip, "Right now, my tendrils are wired into that nurse's nervous system and any wrong move would seriously hurt her. I've been ordered to take you and your friends in alive, but Lady Akemi didn't specify that you all need to be in one perfect piece. Therefore as member of the Tarot Magi..." the nurse's knee rammed into Tatsuya's abdomen and caused him to nearly hurl, "Let's have some fun!"

Tatsuya quickly recovered from the blow and dodge to the side as the knife went past his cheek. Barely grazing him, Tatsuya seized Miss Narita by her arm and in one smooth motion, slipped behind her to called forth The Hand, switching to its secondary function, "The Hand!" his eyes flared intensely with gold and Tatsuya seized the tendrils drilling into Miss Narita's back. The gem on the back of The Hand shimmered and as it let out its alien, buzzing noise, The Hand's mere touch completely disintegrated the tendrils in its grip, causing the freed nurse to fall to the floor unconscious.

"Oh?" said an amused Midori.

Tatsuya summoned his chain-pick to his other hand and threw it under his arm at the green Puella Magi. The chain wrapped around her and Tatsuya pulled her towards him, uprooting her feet from the floor in the process which ended up killing the tendrils spawning from the floor as they withered into nothing. Now held by the neck in the cold grip of The Hand, Tatsuya held the pick's blade to Midori's neck and panted for air, "I'm taking you in," Tatsuya declared, "We're going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer them."

"And you think you've already won?" Midori scoffed with a shake of her head, "I already told you: any wrong move to try and remove the tendrils would only hurt her. Why don't you take a good luck at your little nurse over there?"

Tatsuya gasped and looked behind him to see that while the tendrils had been severed, the remaining tips left in her back were still embedded in her and now causing her to bleed to death fast, "Damn it!" Tatsuya grinded his teeth, and after some quick thinking, tied up Midori completely in his chains, threw the Magi to the floor and attempted the remove the tips from Miss Narita's back. He fetched some surgical pliers from the nurse's desk and plucked the sharp tips from her skin before sealing the wound with dressing. During all of this, Midori smiled and quietly rolled to the side to pick up the surgical knife that Miss Narita had dropped on the floor, slowly cutting her away out of the chains.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead with an arm stained with blood, Tatsuya picked up the nurse and laid her down on a bed, checking to see that she was fine before rushing to his unconscious friend. Jean was still alive, but still unconscious, "Jean, wake up!" he tried shaking him, "Come on, Jean!"

The sound of chains rattling on the floor alerted Tatsuya and he snapped back to Midori to see that while he wasn't looking, the Puella Magi had broken free and now stood behind him. The white, leathery gloves around her arms were now covered in these green gems, encasing her forearms in emerald gauntlets, and as Midori smashed her fists together, she smirked, "Wrong move, Kaname Tatsuya!"

Tatsuya quickly summoned his bow and quiver, but it was too late.

"Gem Scatter!"

Midori outstretched both her arms towards the boy and with a loud thundering roar, the emerald gems covering her gloves ejected at Tatsuya in a shotgun-like blast. A barrage of sparkling gems violently flew through the air like shotgun pellets and as they struck Tatsuya in the chest, they sent the boy flying back before crashing into the wall behind him. Tatsuya left a giant dent in the wall, slumping against it and coughing up blood as he felt like he had just shattered a rib or two. Clasping his chest in pain, the gems that had not struck him had instead blew off parts of the wall behind him and effortlessly left craters in their destruction.

"Still breathing, are you? Good. I'm glad you're not so weak to die to a single blast from my Gem Scatter," Midori laughed with a hand on her cheek and hip, "'Gem Scatter'. It doesn't sound much, but from what it's been tested on, you were lucky that it didn't end up leaving a hole in your chest and tearing you in half by accident. Very lucky," she was going to continue mocking him when she noticed Jean slowly coming to, "Hmph. Annoying,"

Approaching the blonde boy, Midori covered her gloved fists once more in those unbreakable gems and stood over Jean's body. She pulled back one fist, and just one blow to his head cracked the floor underneath him, knocking him out cold once again and indirectly causing Tatsuya's blood to boil. Despite his injuries, Tatsuya attempted still attempted to stand, ignoring the flaming pain in his leg and ribs.

"Stay down, will you? I don't need an idiot with a sword to give me some more trouble. Now then," Midori looked at the nurse this time, smirking, "I guess I should tie up all the loose ends before I leave with you two. Lady Akemi would scold me if I leave any evidence. Huh?" she heard a pained groan and spun around to see Tatsuya, despite now having to endure a broken bone or two, slowly rising from the floor while blood trailed down the corner of his mouth.

The boy held onto the wall for support, coughing out blood the more he tried.

"Still trying to fight?" Midori crossed her arms, sounding almost bored with him, "I've beaten you to a pulp and you're still standing. Amazing. If anything, you're like a sandbag sitting in front of a professional boxer," she raised her gem-covered fists and licked her lips, "You get back up, only to be beaten to the ground over, and over and over again no matter what you do."

Back on both feet, Tatsuya stood upright, and then shot Midori an intense, fiery glare that was blanketed by cold tranquility. It was enough to send a small shiver down her spine.

"Mitsuyo Midori..." he snarled, "Despite what you say, that's how I've been living my life all this time. I've lived all my life... hoping to never see the day that I'd have to hurt someone for any reason whatsoever. I never picked a fight and never fought back no matter how hard they hit me. I promised my sister this, to be a pacifist like my father, but right now..." Tatsuya clenched his fist, and around his body, his Puerum Magi uniform began to materialize into existence, "A low, piece of _scum_ stands before me, and those who hurt the innocent, those who enjoy partaking in pointless violence and torturing others, well... if you're not going to stop when you can, then it looks like I'm going to have to break a bone or two to force you!"

As the Soul Gem on his belt buckle blinded Midori with its shining light, a light-red robe with a star emblem on its back formed around Tatsuya, its edges splitting down the middle and sides. Protecting the robes around his forearms, legs and chest were reflective, silver pieces of armor, and covering his entire jaw was a red cloth-piece that was attached to his robes. Lastly, a quiver of arrows formed and clipped onto his back while Tatsuya's hands grasped onto the an ornate, wooden bow.

"Oh, shut up! The one who's going to win here is me, and I'll do anything to get what I want!" Midori stomped her feet into the ground and rooted herself to the floor as a swarm of tendrils spawned from the same floor to lunge at Tatsuya with their sharpened tips.

The archer leapt to the side and let the tentacles tear the cabinet behind him into pieces while he fire two quick arrows that harmlessly bounced off Midori's emerald gauntlets and into the walls.

More tendrils spawned from the floors and Tatsuya quickly slid under the rows of beds to allude the pursuing appendages, firing arrows non-stop that continued to simply bounced off Midori's tight defense. Reaching the other end of the room, Tatsuya backflipped into the air as the tendrils slid pass his back. The archer fought the pain rising in his injured body and fired two more arrows that instead bounced off the wall behind Midori and struck her in the back.

But the Puella Magi fought the pain and instead spawned another set of tendrils beneath Tatsuya, seizing him the moment he attempted to land. Pinning him to the wall, the other tendrils came forth and restrained his arms and legs to make sure he went nowhere. Midori knew it was time to finish this, pulling the arrows out of her back and clashing her fists once more to charge up her barrage, "The one who has lost here, Kaname Tatsuya, is you!"

Tatsuya's bow fell to the floor and his eyes narrowed down as they shimmered with golden energy once more.

"Gem Scatter!" the gun-like sound of gems blasting out from Midori's fists roared through the room and the gemstone barrage sped towards the boy as a focused blast.

"The Hand!" tearing his right arm from the grip of the tendrils wrapped around it, Tatsuya extended his metal palm towards the barrage and The Hand let out its alien, buzzing noise that reverberated off the walls as the gems then crashed into his palm and disintegrated into absolute nothing upon impact. The gems shattered into pieces first, cracking and bursting before being obliterated and removed from reality completely.

"W-What? How?!"

Tatsuya disintegrated the tendrils pinning him to the wall in one swing of his arm and once his was free, he flung his chain pick at Midori. As the girl was frozen with shock, the chain wrapped around her and Tatsuya tore the Puella Magi from the floor as she screamed. The fingers of The Hand curled up into a fist, and with anger flaring in his eyes, Tatsuya began bludgeoning Midori repeatedly in the face while simultaneously pulling her towards him with his chain each time she flew back from his blows. He made sure he paid back for every single injury she inflicted on Miss Narita and Jean, and with one final, thundering blow, he plowed his fist into her abdomen, released her, and caused Midori to crash into the window behind her as it shattered upon impact. Midori lied on the floor with bits of glass falling on her bloodied face, completely knocked out.

Tatsuya panted as he knelt on one knee, both his and Midori's Magi attire fading away to reveal their school uniforms underneath, "Good grief," Tatsuya muttered to himself, wincing from the pain in his ribs, "Did I overdo it?" he wondered while looking at the mess the Nurse's Office now was.

"Ugh... What did I miss...?" Jean groggily said, rubbing the back of his head before doing a double-take at his disastrous surroundings, "I... I missed the party, didn't I...?" he sighed as Tatsuya nodded and got up to help his friend to his feet, "So, that's our culprit, huh?" Jean gestured to Midori.

"Yeah," Tatsuya said, walking up to her and checking on her condition, "We're taking her back with us. Help me-" they heard a noise at the door and only now, did they finally notice the black-haired, bespectacled girl that had been standing behind the door, watching the entire thing for God-knows how long through a tiny gap in the doorway. Jean didn't know what to say since the girl looked terrified of them. Tatsuya though, remained calm and gestured to Jean to pick up Jade before he spoke to the girl, "Please, don't tell anyone what you saw here. Miss Narita over there needs medical aid, so please, take her to the hospital. Alright?" his tone was calm and warm, earning a hesitant nod in reply, "Thank you. Come on, Jean."

And as the girl got out of the way for the two boys and their captive, the bespectacled girl with black braids watched in awe at them as they left, not hearing Madoka and Sayaka in the distance calling to her.

"Homura, what was all that noise?!"

* * *

Meer sat on a cushion and slurped on some cup noodles while unpacking the rest of their luggage into the cabinets and drawers. The TV in the corner provided some ambient sound while she zipped open the next bag, wondering when Nagisa was going to return with Tatsuya and Jean. Once she finally finished unpacking the last bag, Meer smiled at her own success and lied down on the tatami mat, rolling onto her chest to watch some TV and finish up her small lunch.

Television was a rarity back in the Maidens, so something like this was almost a phenomenon to her that she couldn't resist.

Her attention was then diverted to a bunch of voices that she could faintly hear outside. Switching off the TV for a second, Meer listened closely and realized that it was the others. Meer went to the front door to find out what was all the ruckus about, and when she unlocked the door, the other Crusaders suddenly came rushing into the room with a unconscious, bleeding person in Jean's arms as they carried her to the main living room.

"You think anyone saw us on the way here?" Jean said, placing down the person on the mat while Tatsuya had his Soul Gem in hand to heal the person's more serious wounds, "Nagi, you mind getting some medicine and bandages, will ya?'

"Just pray no one did," Tatsuya replied to him, "The last thing we need is trouble with the cops."

Closing the door tight and locking it, Meer fetched her notepad to ask what was going on and rushed into the room where the others were, only to freeze in the middle of the doorway at the sight of a fellow Maiden of Battle: Jade Hui-Lang, owner of the Maiden's Mitakihara Headquarters and one of the Maidens of Battle that partook in the Battle of Mitakihara. What was she doing here? Meer thought, reeling backwards with wide eyes.

Nagisa opened up a box of medical wraps and saw Meer standing at Jade in shock, "What's wrong, Meer? You recognize this person?"

A very slow nod came from the bespectacled girl, her shaky hand flipping open her notepad. Scribbling down the words as best she could, Meer showed her, "She's a Maiden of Battle. Jade Hui-Lang. She was one of the Maidens who had died fighting Homura."

"R-Really?!"

When Tatsuya and Jean asked what had Meer told her, Nagisa explained it to them as well and the room ended up delving into further chaos and confusion, "You got to be kidding me!" Jean exclaimed, still holding the unconscious Maiden down in case she woke up, "You said they all died fighting Homura!"

"If that isn't true, then Homura must have taken some of them alive," Nagisa theorized, sitting down next to Jade to further think, "She could have sent her like how she sent you to kill Meer, Jean. Or, she could be just using her as a pawn, and the ones we should really worry about, are the Puella Magi that Meer told us about. The ones that refused to join the Maidens of Battle and are now on Homura's paycheck," Nagisa rubbed her temples and continued to ponder on other scenarios, "To be honest, I... I don't know which is going on right now..."

Sitting down to think for a minute, Tatsuya folded his arms and brought a finger to his chin, "This girl said her name was 'Mitsuyo Midori', and that she served 'Lady Akemi', just like Jean," he said this to himself and looked up at everyone, adding, "Maybe if we use The Hand on her like we did on Jean, we could ask her what really happened after the battle?"

Nagisa looked at the unconscious Jade with uncertainty written all over her face. She placed a hand on the girl's forehead and closed her eyes. There, Meer could see tinges of pain rising on Meer's face as Nagi tried examining the unconscious girl's mind, "Her head's been wiped pretty clean by Homura. But unlike Jean, the mind control had gotten a longer time to properly take over this girl," pulling her hand away, Nagisa frowned and shook her head, "We might be too late to save her."

Before Jean or Tatsuya could say anything to that, Meer suddenly froze the water in the air around her hand and formed an icy dagger in her palm, "Meer, stop!" Jean quickly shouted at her and stood between Jade and Meer. He took away the weapon in her hand and threw it in the corner, "We can't just kill her if she can't be saved. That's not what you did in this kind of situation."

Meer grimaced and then gave him an intense glare that basically said, "Then what _do _we do?" If she was too late to be saved, then they shouldn't risk trying to see if they could, was what she thought. They brought her here without thinking and Jade could have been simply been used by Homura's real enforcers to track down the place the Crusaders were staying in. Her rough relations with Jade in the past right now were irrelevant, as it was imply for the safety of the group that they kill Jade now before she wakes up and tries to kill them instead.

Nagisa took Meer's hand into her own and tried to calm her down, while Jean leaned on the wall and looked to Tatsuya for answers, "What now, Tatsuya? Got any idea on what to do with her?"

Having been kept silent the entire time, Tatsuya stared at the unconscious Maiden that lied before him and looked at the palm of his right hand, "Right now, it's only been a few hours since we've arrived, and yet Homura's already sent Magical Girls to capture us, but not kill us - we need to know who exactly are we fighting, and this girl right now is the only one in this room that holds the answers we need," he stood up and patted Meer on the head before he knelt down beside the unconscious girl's body, "Meer, I'm sorry. I understand what you're trying to do, but no matter what, I won't abandon a life if I can do something about it. And right now, I've made my choice."

Without hesitation, The Hand was summoned into Tatsuya's right arm and he adjusted it to its first function. Grasping Jade by her forehead, Tatsuya had Jean and Nagisa hold her down by the arms and legs in case she started struggling. During all of this, Meer stood and watched as Tatsuya attempted to free Jade from the Devil's mind control. All in all, despite the fact that Meer believed this was far too dangerous, she had to admire Tatsuya's brave naivety. He indeed inherited a lot more from his older sister than her powers.

"Ready?" Tatsuya waited for his friends' confirmation, and once he got them, Tatsuya took a deep breath and steeled himself, "Here we go," Tatsuya's eyes transformed into the golden color of a God's power and the gem built into The Hand did so in unison as per usual. He seized Jade tightly by the forehead and immediately, the room was lit up with enough bright lights that it could be seen from outside, "Keep her down as hard as you can!" he ordered them, pulling all his mental strength to tap into this girl's mind and free her.

A pained moan slipped from Jade's lips, her arms and legs attempting to free themselves from Jean and Nagisa's weakening grip as the girl was stronger than she looked. The two could barely hold her down, her arms and legs slowly breaking free, until Meer came along and froze her limbs to the floor with an ice beam from her palm. The two thanked Meer for the help, but that wasn't the last of their problems.

Tatsuya drew in a sharp breath as he felt something beginning to counter-act his attempt to free Jade from Homura's control. An emergency defense system of sort had been planted deep within her mind and very quickly, Tatsuya felt like _he _was the one being affected instead - the mind control inflicted on Jade's mind was now spreading to Tatsuya, as the veins traveling up his right arm were blackening at an alarming rate and making their way up to Tatsuya's neck in an effort to take control over him. Homura had indeed expected them to try something like this.

"Tatsuya, stop! It's too dangerous!" Jean warned him, seeing that the ice around Jade's arms were also beginning to crack open.

Meer ran to go pick up her ice dagger from the floor, but Tatsuya's shouting stopped her from even trying, "No! I can do this! I've gone too far to stop now!" Tatsuya barked between his teeth, feeling the dark energy almost reaching his mind. Mentally strengthening himself, the boy's eyes and the gem built into The Hand shined bright with a light akin to the sun and doing so, slowed down the infection in his veins as the boy fought its infection.

Meer looked to Nagisa, and she too insisted that they continue, "Calm down, Meer! I trust him. If Tatsuya's The Hand was strong enough to bring us to this world, then I believe that its strong enough do this."

Jean, Nagisa and Meer all prayed that she was right, the infection in Tatsuya's veins already reaching his neck. But as soon as they heard a loud ring from The Hand that signaled its success, Tatsuya quickly tore his hand from Jade's forehead and fell back into Meer's arms, panting and sweating nonstop. Jean sighed heavily in relief, but Nagisa and Meer didn't celebrate even for a second as the black energy within Tatsuya's veins still remained and left a noticeable mark on his right arm and neck. Homura's dark energy was inert and the power within Tatsuya's blood was most likely the only thing that kept them from further spreading.

Jade had finally calmed down, breathing steadily as Jean and Nagisa checked her pulse.

"Bandage her up," Tatsuya said between breaths, "Let her rest somewhere. We'll question her when she wakes up," absolutely tired from the ordeal, Tatsuya opened his mouth to give another order, but instead feel asleep in Meer's arms. Moving away a strand of hair that was on his face, Meer then picked up the boy and carried him to his futon to let him rest while Nagisa and Jean patched Jade's wounds up. They had successfully cleansed the Maiden's mind and possibly recruited another Crusader to the team, but, it left a visible mark on The Hand's wielder.

* * *

**Crusaders Stat Sheet**

**Name: Jade Hui-Lang**

**Tarot Card: The Hierophant**

**Power: A**

**Speed: B**

**Durability: B**

**Precision: C**

**Abilities: The Hierophant's Gauntlets- Jade uses a pair of gauntlets that she channels her power into to form emerald gems around her forearms. Her arms once encased in them can then be used as shields with their durability, a pair of boxing gloves with high power, and lastly, she can then clash her fists and eject the gems in a shotgun-like or focused blast. Jade is also capable of other attacks as the boots she wear can root her into the surface she's standing on and then spawn tendrils only from the same surface. These tendrils can manipulate people like puppets once at least several have linked into the nervous system and they can also be used to trap or whip opponents.**

**Name: Tatsuya Kaname**

**Tarot Card: The Star**

**Power: A**

**Speed: B**

**Durability: B**

**Precision: A**

**Abilities: The Star Bow - Granted by Nibey due to Tatsuya's exceptional skill with the bow like his sister, the Star Bow is a regular bow and quiver with several varieties of trick arrows for different situations. Attached to his belt his a climbing pick with a chain that can be used for close combat, climbing and restraining opponents. Tatsuya's trump card is "The Hand", a device created by the Incubator Remnants, The Hand can either be used to remove or free a person of any brainwash inflicted on them, literally obliterate anything that comes in contact with The Hand's touch, and tear a hole in reality to create portals to other worlds.**


	16. Chapter 15: The Next Step

Slowly tapping her index finger on the armrest of her chair, the tall piece of furniture she sat on faced the balcony of her room where Homura gazed out of her window to quietly watch the red sea churning outside. The streaks of flashing lightning shined on the scowl that crossed Homura's face as the young woman repeated the events at the Kaname household in her mind repeatedly. In her other hand was the Tarot card deck she taken from Selena Bismarck as a trophy, the cards stacked neatly on top of one another as she curled her hand into a fist.

_"... I've been through nothing but torment... pain... suffering..." she had uttered, "Please, I want to be free from all of this. Help me... Help me decide on what to do... Will you?"_

Had she really said those words, or was that just the remains of who she was before speaking in her place?

Homura felt nothing but disgust with herself, letting her guard down like that and allowing her emotions to just take over. Burying her face in her hands, Homura leaned forward in her chair and ignored the stinging sensation in her neck. All these years, Homura had managed to keep her emotions in check and has shown nothing but that egoistical, smug side to others. But in that moment, she cracked, and all her emotions just seeped through that chink in her facade from just a few words from Miki Sayaka. It was pathetic.

She heard a sudden knock on her chamber doors. Hearing that it was her servant Selena behind the doors, Homura wiped her watery eyes and put that mask of apathy for a face back on before answering, "You may enter, Bismarck."

The double-doors let out a heavy metallic groan as they opened up and the black knight's loud footsteps grew louder behind Homura's back. The servant respectfully knelt down on one knee, the back of Homura's chair still facing her servant as Selena sharply announced, "The Tarot Magi have reached their destination, Lady Akemi. I had received a message from them not too long ago."

The Tarot Magi, Homura thought to herself, she assumed it would be amusing if she had named her new servants after that card deck she had found in Selena's possession upon her capture. After all, her new servants were to her as cards are to a gambler: mere tools to be used in a game and discarded if need be. Still, she wondered just how well would the Tarot Magi fare in actual battle compared to her Clara Dolls, as she had spent quite a bit of energy turning some of them to her rule, "What is it?" an almost bored-sounding Homura replied with her chin on the back of her hand.

"Magi Squadron 3 have already made contact with the targets while the rest are now waiting for further orders in the other worlds they have arrived in. Jade Hui-Lang has also already fallen, and to Kaname Tatsuya, no less," the mention of that name caused Homura's brow to furrow and she wondered if Tatsuya had attained his own set of abilities through the Incubators, "Squadron 3 are tracking them now and it seems that all four of the targets are combat-efficient. Among the targets are Kaname Tatsuya, Momoe Nagisa, Jean-Baudin Victore and the Maiden of Battle, Meer Feuer. Your orders, Lady Akemi?"

"... Keep your distance for now," Homura calmly told her with a slight flick of her wrist, "Monitor them well and strike whenever one of them is vulnerable. We don't know the full extent of their abilities, so don't take them lightly. Test them first. As for the other Tarot Magi, I'll recall them back; I want them on standby in-case something happens here instead. Also..." Homura's chair lifted slightly from the ground and spun around as Homura's narrowed eyes now looked down on Selena's kneeling figure, "I want them alive."

Her orders were sound and Selena complied without question.

"Yes, Lady Akemi," the servant stood up and bowed respectfully before she marched outside of the room as the double-doors closed once more with a thundering shut echoing through the halls.

Lifting her hand, the Tarot card deck stacked on her palm floated into the air as the floating cards spiraled in the air. Picking out the Hierophant card she had assigned to Jade, Homura held it gently in her grip before crushing it in her hand. There were a lot more to go, Homura thought to herself, as the card in her hand completely vanished without a trace while the others sat back in her palm.

_"Homura... please... don't make the same mistake again..." _Sayaka's pleading echoed in her mind for the seventh time, but she threw away those words into the back of her mind and reminded herself once more that it was truly too late at this point. She couldn't trust Miki Sayaka anymore, not after she had been working with one of those Incubators. Falling back into her chair, Homura sighed and wondered if the other Tarot Magi and Clara Dolls have caught that Incubator yet.

Alone with herself once more, Homura drummed her fingers on her chair's armrest once more and wondered why she had even allowed Sayaka to live. Even more so, the woman had actually involved Kaname Tatsuya with this conflict, along with Momoe Nagisa. What were their plains? Homura began to think, wondering why they had gone to _that _time of all places before she winced from the sudden arising pain in her neck and lifted one hand to ease it's pain with magic.

The pain slowly went away, and as Homura panted, she lied back in her seat and whispered to the cold air, "I should have just killed her myself."

* * *

It had already been a few hours since Sayaka's encounter with Homura. Caressing her sore neck, Sayaka couldn't forget that pained look of betrayal Homura had on her face as she lashed out against her. It was painful to look at, even just for those few seconds. The sheer guilt Sayaka felt from failing to bring Homura back was insurmountable and she lifted her face from her hands, Sayaka looked at Madoka's unconscious body as she lied on the hospital bed in front of her. Having failed to do what needed to be done, Sayaka damned herself for being such a fool.

Having been sitting in this room for a decent amount of time already, Sayaka watched the hospital's nurses and patients seldom pass by the room while thinking of Homura's cold words, _"Akemi Homura is gone," _said the woman with a contrasting expression of pain and sorrow. Sayaka was honestly never one to trust Homura, even in the past, they conflicted with one another and sometimes even despised each other due to contrasting ideals and morals. But, Sayaka couldn't help and wonder just how far from redemption Homura really is.

Hearing someone at the door brought Sayaka out of her thoughts, and coming into the room with a bouquet of sunflowers was Tomoe Mami. She appeared somewhat tired, quietly entering the small room and placing the bouquet by the windowsill with all the other ones. No doubt it was because of Nagisa having left with Tatsuya on his journey.

Mami let out a heavy sigh and sat next to her, rubbing her temples with one hand, "How is she?" she asked in a low tone.

"Stable. But she's barely holding on as she is and the doctors aren't sure when or whether or not she'll wake up," Sayaka quietly answered with a tinge of defeat in her voice, "It's just like what happened with Tatsuya back then..."

"It was never this serious," Mami added, folding her hands on her lap.

The beeping coming from Madoka's heart-rate monitor rang throughout the room as a ventilator sat next to her bed. The two young women in front of her sat in silence as they were unable to find anything to say to each other. Then, all of a sudden, Mami sharply stated, "Nagi left this morning," Sayaka couldn't indicate the emotion in her voice, "I tried calling Tatsuya to ask what was happening, but he wouldn't pick up. Miki, do you know anything about what they were doing?"

She felt uncomfortable from her inquisitive tone. Mami's eyes still directed to the floor instead of her, Sayaka still felt uneasy as she answered her question, "No. Tatsuya didn't really tell me anything. So... I'm not really sure what's going on either."

"I see..." Mami said with a slow, affirmative nod. Straightening her back, Mami took in a deep breath and seemingly recollected herself in one go, "I suppose I can trust those two to take care of each other. They've been together for quite some time now, haven't they?"

"They sure have," they both shared a weak smile at the slight but much-needed change of mood and atmosphere. Sayaka reopened her mouth to say something else, but the sudden ringing of Nibey's voice in her ears caught her attention.

_"Sayaka, can you hear me? Meet up on the rooftop. I've got something to tell you."_

Mami noticed Sayaka's sudden pause, "Is something bothering you, Miki?"

"Oh? Umm..." Sayaka abruptly got up from her chair and tried to find the words to excuse herself, "I-I'll be back in a few minutes. I just remembered something important I got to do," she stammered as fast as she left the room, leaving Madoka to Mami while the blue-haired girl went out into the hospital corridor to find the elevator. The nearest one was down the hall and it took a minute of waiting for it to arrive, the next few minutes being the trip up to the rooftop as Sayaka was relieved to hear that Nibey had managed to get away.

The elevator doors finally reopened and the warm afternoon light poured in as Sayaka got out of the elevator with a hand in her pocket. A breeze blew by and the flowers of the rooftop gardens fluttered in the wind, "Nibey, you out here?" she called to him and looked around, not a soul present or to be seen around. Hearing no reply from the Incubator, Sayaka began to feel a little suspicious and her body tensed. She began taking a step back to the elevator in case it was one of Homura's traps and slowly summoned of her cutlasses into her hand, "Nibey?"

The elevator doors were still open. She could still make it if she wanted to. But years of living a normal life had made Sayaka's senses rusty as drew in a sharp breath at the blade that was suddenly held to her neck, "Drop the weapon," she heard a voice behind her whisper, a girl's voice, "Did you come alone?"

Sayaka gritted her teeth, her cutlass cluttering on the ground, "Not a question you'd ask when pointing a blade at them, kid."

"Answer the question," Sayaka felt the cold blade touch her skin.

"Madeline, let her go!" Sayaka heard Nibey as he appeared from behind a small hiding spot and out into the open, "She's with me, for God's sake."

Sayaka sighed in relief as the blade was lowered from her neck and caressed it with one hand. Turning around to meet the stranger, it was a girl in her late teens that had snuck up on her. She wore an inconspicuous set of clothing that hid the bits of bleeding medical wraps and bandages underneath, a hood that covered her scarred face and in her hand, she wielded a small knife with an design too ornate for it to be an ordinary one.

"Sayaka, this is Madeline Taylor," Nibey introduced her, sitting between the two, "A Maiden of Battle and one of their top trainers and engineers, I had ran into her during my escape from Homura. She was one of the few that escaped the Maiden's main headquarters before it had fallen."

The girl looked less than willing to introduced herself personally and avoided Sayaka's gaze as she sheathed her knife and hid it under the coat she wore. Understandable, Sayaka thought, since the girl must have been working hard to avoid detection from Homura and Clara Dolls for some time now. Looking back at the Incubator, she knelt down to him and asked, "What are you two doing here? Isn't it a little dangerous to be out here in the open? Homura could be looking for you."

Madeline suddenly held up her wrist and showed some sort of watch-like device to Sayaka, "Cloaking device," she curtly stated, "Prevents them from sensing our magical energies. Also capable of optical camouflage."

"We know it's dangerous, but we're here to tell you that we'll be hiding out in an apartment at downtown Mitakihara," Nibey explained, "It's a small hideout the Maidens used before it was abandoned, but it still has equipment we could use and supplies. We want you to meet us there tomorrow since we are planning something important. That is - if you're willing to help us," Madeline then handed Sayaka a small sheet of paper that held their address.

"So is this all you came to tell me?" asked Sayaka.

"We can't say much now. So if you're willing to continue helping us, especially after what happened this morning, meet us there tomorrow morning," Nibey looked at Madeline and the two nodded at each other as they prepared to leave. Jumping onto the Maiden's shoulder, Nibey gave Sayaka a few last words before they headed to the elevator, "Be careful Sayaka. I'm not sure why Homura spared you, but, you best be careful."

And with that, the elevator doors closed with the two inside, leaving Sayaka on the rooftop with the note in her hand. Getting up once more, Sayaka pocketed the address and sat down on one of the benches to think.

_"But, if you try to interfere again, Miki Sayaka, I will kill you without a second thought," _Homura's words echoed in her head once more. But, undeterred by that death threat, Sayaka looked at the address again and instead felt the urge to help. She was going to help them stop Homura no matter what happened to her in the end, and nothing could stop her.

* * *

Returning to the past timeline, the Crusaders spent the rest of their morning setting up their hideout and figuring their next step, along with what to do with their newest problem: Jade Hui-Lang. The Maiden of Battle was still unconscious and resting in a room of her own under Meer's surveillance, and Jean was busy keeping an eye out for more assassins outside the small inn as in their own room, Nagisa was tending to Tatsuya and his infection.

Tatsuya sat bare-chested on a futon while Nagisa examined the blackened veins on his right arm that reached all the way up to the base of his neck. Tainted by a sort of defense mechanism that had tried to hinder his attempts in freeing Jade of her mind control, the god-like energy Tatsuya had inherited from his sister thankfully kept the taint from spreading any further. If it were anyone else that had been infected, they could only assume that the taint would continue to spread until it reached its hosts mind and turned the subject into another servant of Homura like Jean and Jade.

"Doesn't look like it's gonna fade away any time soon," Nagisa stated, running her hands along his arm while they glowed with healing magic. The persistent taint - although inert - refused to wither away and it frustrated the girl greatly, "It's not spreading. But-" she sighed and looked back up at Tatsuya with worried eyes, "You should've been more careful, Tatsu'. I mean, I was with your call to save her, but this could've went horribly wrong. We don't even know how are we going to get this thing out of you, too."

Tatsuya on the other hand, was barely fazed by the taint that was now in his body. He knew fully well the risks of saving Jade and it was his own choice to save her, "But I'm still fine, aren't I? It went better than expected, then. As long as it nothing else happens, I think I made the right choice, Nagi," he chuckled and lifted his arm from his side to run his hand through her hair out of comfort, "Besides, I can just hide it with some clothing, right?"

His joke didn't make her laugh, as Nagisa merely pouted, "Let's just... not do that again. Please?"

Her tone was lower than usual and one look at her face immediately told him that she was more worried than she let on earlier. Giving her a warm smile, Tatsuya pulled her into a small, momentary hug, "Promise."

Burying her face in his shoulder, Nagisa enjoyed the brief moment of comfort from all this mayhem. Going back in time, preventing Homura from becoming a Puella Magi, putting all their hopes on a plan that may or may not work, this small moment gave the two a nice chance to catch their breath and relax. That is, until they heard footsteps approaching their room and immediately broke apart. Tatsuya fumbled to put his shirt on until Nagisa helped him and they managed to succeed just as Meer slid the door open. Her notepad in one hand, Meer walked up to them having noticed nothing and the small pad read, "She's awake."

"What are we gonna do with her?" Nagisa asked Tatsuya and he took a moment to think.

"We'll see how she's faring first; ask her what she remembers and what she doesn't. If she knows anything important, we need to know," Tatsuya then looked at Meer with hesitation and said, "I would ask you to speak to her for us, since I think it would be better for her to talk to someone she knows. But since you told me about your uneasy relations with her and since you can't... well..." his hands waved through the air as he tried to come up with a way to say it without offending her.

Meer took out her pen and wrote down her reply, taking no offense to what he was implying, "It's fine. Jade knows sign language. I'll talk to her if you need me to. It's for the best," lowering her notepad, she got a thankful nod from both Nagisa and Tatsuya as they got up from the futon.

"Let's go see her."

The inn's wooden floor creaked under the trio's footsteps as they headed over to Jade's room. With Jean still guarding the place outside, Meer slid the room door open and the pair followed her in from behind. Now inside the small room that had just a simple futon and a portable fan, Jade sat upright, covered in medical wraps and faintly swaying her body left and right as she attempted to scan her surroundings with a hazy mind. The three sat down next to her and the red-head directed her unfocused eyes at Meer first, muttering, "... M-Meer...? Where... Where am... I? The others...?"

"Explain it to her slowly, Meer," Tatsuya advised.

Meer sat a bit closer to Jade, lifted her hands from her sides and paused. Then, they slowly moved through the air, careful but precise motions that Tatsuya and Nagisa couldn't even understand a bit of no matter how hard they tried. But Jade understood her every single bit of it. Even when only half-conscious, Jade could perceive everything she was trying to tell her as if she was audibly speaking and very quickly did Jade's expression begin to darken, as Meer explained the aftermath of the Mitakihara Battle and why did Merry and the reserve Maidens not participate in the skirmish. Explaining just those two before they told her the more complicated stuff, Meer lowered her hands to let Jade process all of this.

"Is that so...? Everyone..." Jade grimaced, her hands balling into fists, "I knew Merry couldn't be trusted. That backstabbing coward. But... tell it to me straight, _where_ are we?"

"As difficult as it may sound - we are not in our world," this time, Tatsuya answered her question as Jade stared at him with disbelief, "It's a long story, but we're a decade back in time, and into another world, as well," he gave her a minute to understand this and she nodded for him to continue, "We've come here to make sure that Akemi Homura does not gain the powers she has in our world. Nibey came up with this plan, and not long after we arrived, you attacked us under the control of Akemi Homura. We freed you after that."

"Do you remember anything that happened after the battle?" Nagisa asked her and the Maiden shook her head.

With one hand gripping the side of her aching head, she replied, "N-No... I don't remember a single thing. Just - darkness - as if I was trapped in some sort of deep sleep. My apologies, but I don't believe I have anything that would be of help to you all," bringing her knees to her chest, the red-head looked at Tatsuya and Nagisa and lowered her head slightly in gratitude, "Still, I thank you for saving my life. If I may ask: Who are you? And how exactly did we get here?"

"We came here through this," Tatsuya said as he materialized The Hand onto his right arm and Jade's eyes widened in surprise. She recognized the device from Nibey's briefing about a new relic a few days ago, but before she could ask how he got it to work, he further explained, "Nibey and Meer had saved my life and gave me this device. This here is Momoe Nagisa, and I am Kaname Tatsuya, leader of this group. My friend Jean is outside right now keeping watch. You and Meer are already acquainted, correct?"

"Yes... we are," Jade said as she and Meer looked away from each other uncomfortably. But, Meer looked back and tapped her on the shoulder to gain her attention as the next words she swiftly gestured to her visibly shocked Jade. Looking at Tatsuya again in amazement, she stammered, "You... You are the sibling to the Forgotten Savior?" she received a slow nod in response, as Tatsuya was still not used to term the Maidens had given his sister or the fact that they had built a religion around her in the first place.

"I am."

She continued to gaze at him in a mix awe and amazement, and after what seemed to be a quiet arise of a revelation in her mind, Jade attempted to sit upright properly, only to wince in pain as Nagisa put a hand on her shoulder to help her. Still, Jade continued and straightened her back as she faced her body towards Tatsuya and respectfully said, "Kaname... this may seem sudden, but for saving my life, I therefore dedicate my it to your service as a way of repayment. With the Maidens gone... I have no allegiance to anyone else but you and your cause. If you are to accept my service... I would be honored to fight alongside the brother of the Forgotten Savior."

Her sheer zeal and dedication caught Tatsuya and Nagisa off-guard as the boy was at lost for words. His first thought would be to decline her, as saving her was just something he did out of good will rather than to gain a new ally. But, he and Nagisa knew that she had nowhere else to go but to them as she was already in this timeline, and being a Maiden herself, Jade would make an excellent member of the team with her skills and dedication. Smiling at her offer, Tatsuya respectfully accepted it with a small bow, hereby making her a new family member to the Crusaders on their journey to stop Akemi Homura, "I accept your service. Jade, was it? Welcome to the team."

"_xiè xie," _Tatsuya heard her whisper a word of gratitude in her home language. But it didn't sound like it was directed at him, rather, it was if she directed to the deity that was his sister. Uttering that single word with a deep bow and her palms in a prayer-like position, she looked back up to Tatsuya and swore, "Thank you, Kaname. I will not disappoint you."

* * *

After everything had been cleared up with Jade, Tatsuya had her continue to rest and think about the situation she was now in while the group continued with setting up in this foreign world. Meer had took over guard duty for Jean so the boy could prep their lunch in the inn's small kitchen which they were allowed to use. Meanwhile, Nagisa had opened up all the clothes she had bought during her shopping spree earlier and was now showing Tatsuya some new outfits that would do a better job of disguising them in public from both assassins and people they knew.

"What do you think?" Nagisa asked with a anticipating smile as Tatsuya put on a white trench-coat over a long-sleeved shirt that covered his neck. It perfectly hid the black marks on the right side of his body and it felt comfortable to wear while being equally stylish, "Here," the lasting touch was a matching visored cap that she went up and fitted tightly onto his head, taking a few steps back and smiling at her selected choice of clothing, "I thought that hiding your hair color would help. So, you like it?"

"Fits perfectly," a contented Tatsuya replied while looking in a mirror, adjusting the cap he wore to make sure it fit properly, "Thanks, Nagi."

"No problem!" with that done, Nagisa then went over to the other bags of clothing on the living room table and started taking out some more, "I got some for Jean and Meer, too. I'm gonna check up on Jade as well, so I'm pass some of these to her," taking one of the bags, Nagisa headed over to Jade's room and knocked on the door. A voice inside told her to come in and she slid the door open to see that the Maiden had already made a surprising full recovery in just a few hours.

In fact, the medical wraps that were covering her body earlier were now lying on her futon and Jade, not a scratch present on her, was now doing one-handed push-ups on the floor with the other hand behind her back. Panting between each push, Jade then stood up and dusted her hands before greeting the older but shorter girl with a bow, "Was there something you wanted, Momoe?" she said, hands folded behind her back.

Although Jade looked a mere older than Tatsuya, Nagisa noticed that she had a rather toned physique and her body had been visibly hardened over the years from physical training in contrast to the younger, more frail-looking Meer. Earlier, Jade had been severely wounded from her fight with Tatsuya, but it seemed that a few hours of rest was all a Puella Magi needed to heal up some broken bones, "I brought something for you," Nagisa pulled out some green-colored clothing with jewelry embedded in them from her bag and it immediately caught the girl's eye, "Since you don't have any clothes aside from that school uniform, you can have these. I thought they would look good on you."

Jade took them into her hands and felt their material. Soft, high-quality and perfectly-suited to her taste, she was impressed by her choices and a small hint of a smile appeared on her face, "Thank you, Momoe. You have my utmost gratitude," she placed the clothes on the futon and began changing out of the school uniform she wore, "Would you like something in return? I don't think I could accept such a gift without giving something of equal value."

"Well-" Nagisa sat down on the tatami mat with a finger on her lips, "Maybe you could teach me some sign language? It would help a lot with talking to Meer," the mention of girl's name made Jade hesitate and Nagisa's sharp eyes were quick to catch that. Curious about their relationship, Nagisa further asked, "Umm... You don't mind me asking about what happened between you two?"

Jade buttoned up her shirt one by one and zipped up the jacket she wore over it. Sighing with her back facing the older girl, Jade wistfully replied, "It's rather complicated. Meer and I. I don't mind teaching you a bit of sign language, but, I'd rather keep what happened between Meer and I to myself. If just for now, perhaps. I hope you don't mind, Momoe," her tone was her usual respectful and formal one, and Nagisa understood if she didn't want to share anything.

Once she had finished getting dressed, Jade wore a set of modest, green-colored clothes with black jeans that matched the red, cherry earrings she had been constantly wearing. Turning around, Jade herself was pleased with how she looked and so was Nagisa, "Come on," Nagisa got up, "You should meet Jean. He's in the kitchen and could use an extra pair of hands. He's pretty much the only one you haven't met, yet, so maybe you could help him out?"

Gesturing the silver-haired girl to lead the way, Jade followed Nagisa out of her room and throughout the small inn. The red-head examined the old, wooden aesthetics of their inconspicuous hideout and saw the rooms each Crusader had to themselves. There was a small living room with a round table that Tatsuya was using to write down some plans and as they approached the inn's kitchen, they heard the sounds of water boiling and a knife loudly making its work on a cutting board.

Inside the kitchen, Jade saw Jean cutting up a large slab of meat with swordsman-like precision while humming a tune to himself, twirling the knife in his hand like some sort of saber.

"Jean, this Jade Hui-Lang. Jade, this is Jean-Baudin Victore," Nagisa introduced the two to each other as the boy turned around with happy grin and placed the knife he held on the counter.

"Mornin', _Mademoiselle_," he casually greeted her with a hand to his chest, "So, you're the one that nearly killed us earlier, huh?"

Jade was taken aback by his casual, friendly tone and contrasting while Nagisa held back a snicker at her reaction, "I'm... umm... terribly sorry about that?"

Jean laughed out loud and picked up his knife to continue slicing up some meat, "Relax! Just messing around with ya'. This wasn't the first time I got beat up by a cute girl and it ain't gonna be my last," holding up the cutting board, he shoved the meat into a pot of boiling stew next to him and wiped his hands clean on his apron, "If you're here to help, chop up those vegetables over there, will ya? Nagi, tell Tatsuya that we should be done in a few minutes, too."

"Right-o!" Nagisa chirped as she clapped Jade on the shoulder and now left the still-hazy Maiden in Jean's company.

Gulping, Jade just quietly did what they asked her to do and went over to the stack of vegetables sitting on a cutting board. She fetched out a nearby knife and started helping out while Jean stirred the stew in the pot and simmered some spices as he watched her quick hands make their work, "How are you feeling?" Jean spoke up when he noticed the awkward silence radiating from her, "It must've been - well - hard to hear what happened, after all."

Jade skillfully continued cutting up the ingredients and slightly paused before answering. The Chinese girl's tone has the same formality to it, but it also had a feeling of coldness, "I would be lying if I said I had already made my peace with the fate of my Sisters. But, I know that crying or complaining about it won't help anyone," she abruptly handed the cutting board full of vegetables to the boy, "Is this acceptable?"

Staring at the sliced pieces of greens, Jean silently took the cutting board off her hands and placed the ingredients in the stew before dumping the board in the sink, "But wouldn't helping out a bunch of strangers be a bit sudden for you? I'd say that would be a bit overwhelming," he said while stirring the stew in the pot.

Jade lowered her gaze to the ground and leaned on the counter, folding her arms while answering, "I've dedicated my life to the Maidens for some time now. I've known quite a few Maidens, some were close to me, but I've decided that all that is gone now because of what happened. Now, I've dedicated my life to Kaname and Momoe. They saved my life and I want to help them rather burden them with my personal matters. Even with Meer, I will be respectful. I have no intention to turn anything else into a personal matter. Now, would you like anything else?"

"Yeah," Jean looked right at her and sharply raised a finger to set one thing straight, "Lighten up a bit, will ya'? You don't have to be so formal with us. Nagi's the only adult here and she acts more like us, anyway. We've all been through shit, but we're not gonna let all that drag us down when we got a world to save."

"I-I didn't mean to give that sort of impression," Jade stammered, slightly flustered, "Perhaps it's just a habit, but I would prefer to treat Kaname and Momoe with respect for what they did. Especially since Kaname is the brother of-"

"The Forgotten Savior. Yeah, yeah. Look, Jade, right?" Jean sighed, "We're all in this together now. So if we're gonna make it through this alive, we're gonna have to open up a bit, whether we like it or not. We all have our personal demons, no one doesn't. So, again, just lighten up a bit. I'm sure your Sisters wouldn't want you acting like this when you've got a duty to fulfill," he then took a nonchalant sip of the stew with a spoon and smacked his lips together at its taste while Jade was unsure what to reply with, "Stew's done, by the way. Go tell the others that lunch is ready," turning his back to her again, Jade opened opened her mouth to speak, but no sort of argument came out.

Jade's hands still at her sides, she simply left the kitchen and thought of his words as she went to call Nagisa and Tatsuya.

* * *

Putting away anything that was on the living room table to make space for the bowls and utensils that they borrowed from the inn owner, all 5 of the Crusaders sat around the low, circular table as they ate their lunch in peace. The atmosphere felt somewhat palpable as Jade and Meer avoided any sort of direct contact with each other and respectfully kept to themselves. Jean noticed this and nudged Nagisa and Tatsuya, who tried to remedy this by talking about the next step in their plan.

Finished with his meal already, Tatsuya placed down his bowl and cleared his throat to speak, "So far, Nagi and I are thinking of simply monitoring Homura's movements from a distance while she does her daily routine," Tatsuya stated with a hint of authority in his tone, "We don't want any harm to come to my sister or anyone else from staying close to them, but if we do end up getting close, we need to make sure they don't get caught in the crossfire. Although we have yet to _find _Homura, I already have a few leads of where she might be outside of school."

"Kaname, who shall be watching over the hideout?" Jade asked, "We would need at least two people to watch over if we want to make sure Homura's assassins don't find this place and report to her."

Nagisa and Tatsuya shared an uneasy look before he answered her question, "I know you two are not on the best terms, but we need you and Meer to stay here for us," the two Maidens look at him in surprise, "As skilled you two are, Jean, Nagi and I know better when it comes to Mitakihara. Past or not, we've been here longer than you two. Besides, if they ever were to find this place, I have complete faith in both of your abilities to defeat them," his further explanation sounded reasonable, and the two Maidens had no argument to give whatsoever.

"I trust your judgement on this, Kaname," a hesitant Jade replied.

Meer simply nodded in agreement, and with that settled, it was now Nagisa's turn to speak.

"First thing's first," Nagisa began by putting away her bowl and taking out a sheet of papers from under the table. Placing them in the middle for all of them to see, on those papers were bizarre drawings and abstract illustrations of monstrous creatures, and as she pointed to one, she explained, "This is a Witch. Jean, Tatsuya, since you two are new to this, I'll cut it short. Back in our world, Puella Magi kept track of creatures that wandered the streets at night and attacked innocent people. They weren't powerful, but they were dangerous in numbers."

"The Wraiths," Jade's guess got a positive snap from Nagisa's fingers.

"Yup. But in this world, everyone, Wraiths don't exist. Before Homura took control, we had these things called Witches: beings of negative emotion that live in magical barriers that have been the cause of random incidents like suicide and disappearances," she showed another sheet of paper, one showing smaller and more simple drawings of monsters, "They have these things called Familiars to serve them and they guard their barriers. Now, these Witches are strong, but even a weak Puella Magi can take them on. But, what few know... is that these things that the Puella Magi hunt, were once Puella Magi themselves; transformed by falling to despair or exhausting their magical reserves."

Jade and Meer recoiled at those words and looked back at the abstract drawings with the thought that these creatures were once human. Jean looked disturbed by this fact, and as Tatsuya picked up one of the drawings for a closer look, Jean couldn't help but ask one question, "How do you know this?"

"Because I used to be one," her straight answer got everyone to look right at her in surprise and shock, but Nagisa knew she was going to get his kind of reaction and was quite ready for it, "Yup. I'm completely serious here. Before Homura sealed our memories, Sayaka, Homura and I were the only ones that could remember what happened in this world, and I can still remember turning into a Witch after my mother had died," as she said this, she looked down on the floor and sighed, subsequently smiling a bit when she felt Tatsuya's comforting hand run through her hair.

"Why didn't you tells us earlier?" a worried Tatsuya inquired.

Nagisa sheepishly scratched the back of her neck, chuckling a bit, "I couldn't find a proper time until know to bring it up. Not everyday you find out that your friend use to be some kinda monster that ate people. So... surprise?" she laughed, and when she realized she had gone into a tangent, Nagisa went back to the subject she had derailed herself from, "A-Anyway, these Witches can be anywhere, and if we're going to prevent Homura from contracting, we need to make sure she doesn't have to contract just to survive a Witch attack. Which brings up the next topic-"

She placed a drawing of an Incubator over the other drawings and the Crusaders recognized it, but they had no idea of what it really was.

"This is Kyubey," Nagisa continued, "Like Nibey, he's the one in charge of creating Puella Magi. But unlike Nibey, Kyubey doesn't have any kind of emotion inside of him. He will do anything to get someone he's interested in to make a contract with him and will hold back information when it helps him. He's a sly one, and we gotta make sure he doesn't get Homura to make a contract with him at all costs," and with that, Nagisa took a deep breath as her shoulders dropped, picking up her bowl to finish up the rest of her meal, "Any questions?" she said with a mouthful as she was now tired from her overly-long explanation dump.

"It's a lot to understand, but I think I got the gist of it," Jean answered while finishing up his stew.

Tatsuya concurred, "Thank you, Nagi, for sharing this with us."

"A world without Wraiths," Jade muttered under her breath, still understanding the concept of this sort of world as even Meer looked like she was having trouble perceiving the existence of the Witches.

"Now then - I think it's time we move to the next step," Tatsuya concluded the briefing and their lunch as he got up and took his new trench coat and cap off a nearby rack, "In half an hour, Nagi, Jean and I will be heading downtown. I know a place my sister told me where she always hung out with her friends, so Homura's definitely going to be there. Meer, Jade, I trust you two to keep this place safe. Jean, Nagi, get ready."

"Understood."

Another nod from Meer, and as everyone got up to clean up their utensils and bowls, the Crusaders prepared for their next outing.

* * *

After three of the Crusaders had left the hideout with the remaining to guarding it, the trio traveled to the nearest train station and took a rather long trip to downtown Mitakihara. At this hour, the trains were filled to the brim with workers having finished their shifts, students that just got out of school and tourists that were visiting the country to see the sights. It was an all-to-familiar problem they faced back in their own world and it was not a very welcome one familiarity as it meant nearly suffocating in a tight , cramped space.

Once they reached their destination, the Crusaders spent another half-an-hour walking through the large crowds of people in the streets and had to use a tourist map at one point to even find the building they were looking for since they all looked so similar. The map was different from their time, so again, more time was spent wandering around the place until the three finally reached the front entrance of their desired building.

"Jesus Christ," Nagisa groaned in English as her feet was sore and her hair was baking underneath the sun despite the fedora and the sleeveless, collared shirt she wore.

"10 years ago, and even then the maps were utter horse shit," Jean complained before he looked down at the soles of his shoe and saw a piece of gum stuck to his feet, "Oh, come on!"

"At least we found it. Let's go. They should be here by now," a calm Tatsuya told them as the two followed him into the shopping complex.

Inside the giant, dome-shaped mall, the sights of unfamiliar shops, stores and restaurants made navigating through the place more difficult than it needed to be. Tatsuya remembered the stores his older sister frequented from talks with her and some old pictures, but even that didn't do much to ease their search for Homura, Sayaka or Madoka. Stopping outside a music store, the three sat on an empty bench and looked around.

"See them?" Tatsuya said, gazing past the crowds of unfamiliar faces with one hand pinching the visor of his cap, "Sister told me she often came here with Sister Miki after school, so we should be able to find them here."

Jean groaned while trying to scrape another piece of gum that had stuck to his shoe, "If we're gonna keep an eye on Homura, then it's gonna be a problem if we never know for sure where she is. All I see are strangers, and I can't help but think at least _one _of them is an enemy ever since Jade attacked us."

"Tatsu, why don't we take a break for a bit?" Nagisa suggested, almost begging for a pause in their search, "We've been at this for an hour already."

Unlike his friends, Tatsuya still had plenty of energy to spend in their search, but he knew they had to take a break and let his friends rest if he wanted them to stay in top shape. So, to stay on their goal of checking his sister's favorite places and take a break at the same time, the trio headed off to a nearby restaurant that his sister always loved to be at during her school years. When they finally found it, Jean and Nagisa dropped themselves onto the chairs of the nearest tables to rest while Tatsuya continued to keep an eye out for their targets in the near-empty restaurant.

"I'll go get us some drinks. Jean, come along. You're helping me carry the stuff," Tatsuya's orders got a small groan from his best friend and the two went over the counter while Nagisa waited for them.

A few feet from the counter, Jean fumbled with his wallet to take out some cash and Tatsuya was checking the time on his pocket-watch when they both heard a familiar, distinct voice, "Katsuo!" Tatsuya heard a name being called, "Katsuo Tomohisa!" it took a while, but upon turning around and suddenly seeing Miki Sayaka, did he realize she was calling to the alias he had given her. But to add a bit of worry to a welcome sight, behind the blue-haired girl stood the bespectacled girl that had witnessed Tatsuya's battle with Jade earlier at their school.

"M-Miki Sayaka!" Tatsuya stuttered while pulling down the visor of his cap to avoid showing his face to the bespectacled girl behind her, "What brings you here?"

Beside him, Jean stood with his jaw hung open at the sight of a young Miki Sayaka before him. Completely brimming with youthful energy and vigor, she was a far cry from the sadistic P.E teacher that constantly complained about everything in her job that didn't involve torturing them with physical exercise. He had to admit too, that Sayaka looked pretty good when she was their age, but that thought brought a complicated sense of disgust to his mind.

"Oh, we were just here to grab a drink. We wanted to talk with you for a bit-" Sayaka noticed Jean behind him and noticed that she had yet to introduce herself, "Oh, my bad. The name's Miki Sayaka! You're Katsuo's friend, right? Pleased to meet ya'," it was a very, _very_ weird to be introduced to someone they met as an adult, but it didn't matter when Sayaka then gestured to the girl with the glasses behind her who had kept quiet this entire time out of anxiety, "And this girl here is Akemi Homura!"


	17. Chapter 16: The Mitakihara Puella Magi

**A/N: ****Dragggon73, that was just me stretching the possibilities of the past, since we never really knew how Sayaka interacted with Homura in the first timeline. Since Homura was still inexperienced and shy, I saw no reason for them to antagonize each other as they would have Madoka help them bond. Also, it's nearly been a month since Homura's entry to school at this point, so I thought they'd have some sort of connection to each other by now.**

* * *

"And this girl here is Akemi Homura!"

A long and awkward silence fell upon the two boys. It was the kind of silence one would get when something completely out of left field had been brought up, and this, definitely, was _not _was they had expected.

Without a word, a pair of amethyst eyes gazed at them behind a pair of red-rimmed glasses, the hands that carried her schoolbag fidgeting like a scared puppy and her black hair neatly neatly tied into two, long braids by a purple ribbon. Standing before them was an innocent schoolgirl that one would find almost anywhere, but in truth, it was much more than that. It was Akemi Homura, the one that would rule over the universe one day with the power of a Devil, and to see Homura and Sayaka hanging out together like this was a very jarring sight. The boys took a minute to even reply.

"N-Nice to meet you two," Jean stammered while bowing to the two in an attempt to hide his uneasy expression. With a hand on his chest pocket where his rose sat, he tried to speak with a friendly tone, "I'm Jean-Baudin Victore, a friend of Tat- I mean, Tomo... hisa here."

Silently wincing at Jean nearly blowing their cover, Tatsuya pinched the visor of his hat and lowered it over his face when he saw Homura gazing right at him, "Pleased to meet you, Akemi Homura," he calmly said while looking away, "Jean and I were just running a few errands with a friend. Was there something you two wanted, Miki?"

The young Sayaka and Homura shared a confused expression at the boys' sudden change of attitude and Sayaka folded her arms while explaining, "Well, we wanted to talk to you guys for a bit. It's kinda important," she shifted her eyes between the two boys and wondered, "We're not interrupting something, right?"

Tatsuya had a feeling of certainty that this was going to be about that fight with Jade in school a few hours ago. If it really was Homura that had seen that, there was no doubt that at least Sayaka, Madoka or maybe even Tomoe knew by now that he was a Puerum Magi. They wouldn't be able to know why he was here and or who he was at least, but this could already cause a few problems on its own if they weren't careful.

Looking back at the two girls, he knew denying the fact that he had powers would be a waste of time, so he quietly said to them, "You two know, don't you? What I can do."

Sayaka slowly nodded, lowering her voice as well so the people passing by them wouldn't overhear, "Yeah. Homura told me. We've got some friends who can do the same thing, but that's not what we're here for," she smiled and the two boys gave her a curious look, "We just wanted to thank you for saving Nurse Narita back there. Homura saw the whole thing: You two saved the nurse from that weird transfer student, didn't you? Really surprised me when I heard about it. The nurse is fine, by the way, and she doesn't remember much. So, happy ending?"

Homura stepped forward this time, twirling a strand of her hair in her fingers, "I-I know you asked me not to tell anyone, b-but don't worry. Only our friends know. They a-also wanted to meet you, and we were on the way to see them, so-" she could barely utter a word without stuttering for a second and she looked obviously guilt-ridden for telling the others about Tatsuya's fight with Jade. All of this was... uneasy for the boys, at best.

Tatsuya then felt a small tug on his arm and looked over his shoulder to surprisingly see Nagisa suddenly standing behind him. Having heard the entire thing while the boys weren't paying attention, she cautiously reeled back from Homura's gaze turning to her and stood behind Tatsuya.

"Who's she?" Sayaka asked.

"This is Momoe Nagisa," Tatsuya introduced her, "She's a friend of ours and - of course - a Puella Magi, as well."

"Oh, cool," Sayaka said, wondering why the silver-haired girl looked so cautious from Homura's presence. Lifting a hand from her side, she gestured for them to leave for Mami's apartment, "Anyway, you wanna come with us and meet up with the others? They wanted to talk to you after we told them about what happened at school. They have pretty good cake if you're hungry."

The mere mention of cake roused an audible grumble from Nagisa's stomach and the girl buried her face in Tatsuya's shoulder to hide her red cheeks. Tatsuya couldn't help but chuckle a bit at this before looking back at Jean, who gave a simple shrug that pretty much said, "Why not? Might as well, right?"

Knowing that they couldn't pass up such a clear opportunity to monitor Homura closely like this, Tatsuya politely replied to the blue-haired girl, "We'll accept your offer then."

* * *

Following the two girls on the way to their destination, Nagisa and Tatsuya slowly realized that they were using the same route to Tomoe's apartment that they always taken in their own world, as they recognized all the turns and directions they were taking despite the obvious difference in shops and buildings. The two had walked on this route every time, and it felt bizarre that this would technically be their first trip to Tomoe's apartment.

There was also a notable distance between the Crusaders and the two schoolgirls in front as they walked, allowing the trio to whisper to each other without the pair overhearing them. Every now and then though, Homura would occasionally glance back at them for seemingly no reason other than curiosity, or maybe it was once again Tatsuya's near-identical looks to his sister that was drawing her attention. Tatsuya assumed it was the latter, and pulled down the bill of his hat to further obscure his face. He wondered if he could keep this up for long.

"Hard to believe that's supposed to be Akemi Homura," Jean whispered, gazing at their surroundings every minute or so for any sign of Homura's assassins, "You would think she'd be some cold-hearted girl, but she's just so, well, normal. You sure we got the right person?"

"That's her alright," Nagisa replied, "I didn't know Homura as much as Miki or Kaname did, but I know enough that this was what Homura was like before she became a Puella Magi."

As the cars on the road drove pass them every minute, Tatsuya simply uttered a hush, "Good grief," at the complexity of their current situation as Nagisa glanced up ahead to see the setting sun in the horizon. Tatsuya's pocket-watch stated it was half-pass 5 o'clock and already the sun was bathing the city and roads in a nice, orange light. This made Nagisa remember sometimes just sitting under a tree with his Tatsuya and his sister when they were younger and they would just watch as the sun disappeared into the horizon. The memory brought a small smile to her face, but that peaceful thought was interrupted by Sayaka suddenly shrieking out of nowhere.

"Everyone, over there!"

Pointing at the small alley to their right, the Crusaders gasped at the sight of a faintly-glowing array of runes that hovered in the air. The shifting, translucent runes were unreadable to their eyes as this oppressive aura that sent a shiver up Nagisa's spine immediately made her recognize what was in front of them: The entrance of a Witch Barrier. The girl had never encountered a Witch in her extremely short time as a Puella Magi, and even when she knew she had became one before, she couldn't help but feel intimidated by seeing one in person.

"W-What do we do?" Homura stammered, "Tomoe and Kaname are still far away from here!"

"We can't just let it get away..." Sayaka said to herself and then looked back that the Crusaders in realization, "Hey, you guys have powers, right? If it's not asking much, can you guys make sure this thing doesn't get away? We'll go get Madoka and Mami, so just try and at least hold on while we go get help!"

The Crusaders hesitantly looked back at the entrance to the Barrier and remembered what Nagisa had said about a Witch's origins. Ex-Puella Magi, beings born of despair and grief while doomed to be killed by other Puella Magi who know nothing about this horrible cycle and whom will eventually fall into the same sad fate. Knowing this truth alone would drive many to insanity and bring even more death, but letting this thing go would just cause even more needless despair. They had to make sure that no one else would get caught by this thing, so as long as they saw killing the Witch as an act of mercy, then they did not hesitate to put this creature out of its misery.

"We'll do it," Tatsuya swiftly answered, approaching the Barrier entrance with his hands in his long-coat's pockets, "Go. We'll do what we can."

"Thanks!" Sayaka looked at Homura, "Come on, we gotta hurry!"

"R-Right!"

The two schoolgirls then made a break for Mami's apartment as fast as they could while the three Crusaders stepped into the cramped alley in front of them. Standing mere meters from the spiraling runs in the air which enlarged into a portal big enough to fit a grown person, the Crusaders steeled their resolve and called forth their powers. Tatsuya materialized his armored robe around his body, wielding his bow and a sickle attached to his belt through a chain as Jean encased himself in his golden suit of armor and unsheathed his rapier from his waist.

The boys took point and jumped into the Barrier's entrance as Nagisa took a deep breath and took out her Soul Gem. After years of inactivity as a Puella magi, finally, Nagisa once again summoned her Puella Magi gear as a flash of silver light covered her body. In the blink of an eye, a poncho replaced the sleeveless shirt she wore, held by a pair of suspenders with shorts and a hat with cat ears forming over her head place. She carried a trumpet shaped in the design of her Witch's true form, Charlotte, and felt almost nostalgic to be wearing this again.

A determined smile spreading across her face, Nagisa then jumped into the Barrier as it closed behind her and subsequently, her surroundings seemingly melted away into a morphing, alien plane of existence. Nagisa, Jean and Tatsuya were teleported away from the small alley they were in and found themselves in a dark, damp cave with a train track running in the middle of it. Looking like an abandoned coal mine, cracks in the cave's walls and ceiling oozed a black substance while at their feet, the Crusaders noticed that their shadows had practically disappeared altogether as the trio carefully explored the tunnel for the Witch.

A glob of ooze from the ceiling dropped on Jean's body and he let out a loud groan of disgust when it seeped into the gaps between his armor, "_Bordel de merde!_ What the Hell is this stuff?!"

Tatsuya crouched down and took a wipe of the ooze onto his fingers. The liquid was thick as he examined the sticky fluid between his fingers and when he took a whiff of it after pulling down the cloth covering half his face, it had a stale smell similar to paint, "It doesn't seem like anything we've seen before. But still, keep your guard up. It's too quiet."

Feeling the crunch of the rock underneath her foot, Nagisa's sharp ears picked up the faint sound of digging underneath them, followed by the rattling of a metal chain. Stopping in her tracks to focus on this strange noise, the digging slowly grew louder and louder, until Nagisa felt the gravel beneath them begin to shift, "Tatsuya, Jean, they're below us!"

Chains then splurged from the ground like the tendrils of a monster as the Magi jumped onto opposite sides of the train track. The Witch finally made its move, the train tracks between the Magi suddenly rising up from the ground to create a chain-link fence that separated Jean from Nagisa and Tatsuya. When the knight struck the barrier with his rapier, he cursed when his blade bounced off it. But the wall was the least of their problems as shadowy hands suddenly started bursting from the ground like zombies in a horror movie.

Humanoid-shaped Familiars with thick, black slime dripping from their inconsistent shapes and forms burrowed onto the surface, wielding chipped pickaxes as they howled muffled, blood-curling screeches from their featureless faces.

Jean smirked at their massive numbers and eagerly raised his rapier despite being alone, "I always wanted to say this," he defiantly pointed his weapon at the army of Familiars, declaring, "I'm not stuck in here with you. No. You're stuck in here with me!"springing towards the Witch's servants with boisterous laughter, the gold knight slashed his way through the crowd of enemies with grace and form. With each slash, he coated his armor in the black blood of his enemies, the Familiars' raging attacks parried effortlessly by the boy's rapier as he danced between them and tore them apart with his blade.

On the other side of the track, Nagisa and Tatsuya fought back-to-back as a crowd of Familiars surrounded the pair. Despite this, the shadowy monsters couldn't even within 7 meters close to them without being shredded into pieces by Tatsuya's arrows that sung through the air, striking Familiars in their heads with pin-point accuracy while the rest were blown into smithereens by explosive bubbles blown from Nagisa's trumpet. It was almost comical to see such a harmless-looking instrument bestow destructive power on par with high explosives, each bubble leaving a smoking crater as a result of its power.

"We can't waste too much time with the servants! We need to get to the Witch quickly!" Nagisa shouted as the army didn't seem to thin as fast as they would like. Hearing a screech from above, Nagisa looked up to see a Familiar descending upon them with its weapon and the Puella Magi instinctively reacted by jumping at it. Using her Witch powers, a mask bearing the face of her Witch form replaced her human face and the Familiar could only screech in fear as Nagisa kicked the weapon out of its hand and devoured its head whole.

"If we need to finish this quick, then let's give it all we got!" Jean said as he cleaved his next kill down the middle and announced, "Cast off!" with one command, Jean's golden armor let out a loud hiss before they ejected off his body and created a shotgun-effect as the pieces of his armor blew apart any Familiar standing close to him, "Time to count up your sins, you damn monsters!" without his armor, Jean's speed increased tenfold as he blitzed across the crowd in a blur, Familiars left and right suddenly cut apart by a seemingly invisible force as they exploded into bits of ash upon death.

With the tide slowly beginning to wither, some of the Familiars even started to retreat back into the ground while the rest were cut down where they stood. Fighting completely in sync with one another, Nagisa turned her weapon to the wall separating them from Jean while Tatsuya covered her back and shot down any Familiar charging at them. Nagisa took a deep breath and then blew her trumpet, unleashing a barrage of bubbles that struck the metal fencing and blew open an entrance for them with ease.

The two jumped through the opening and joined their friend zipping through the crowds of enemies in the slaughter as they unleashed everything they had to finish off the last of the welcoming party. Within moments, the last Familiar had its head slashed from its shoulders and its body sliced into 5 pieces as Jean swiftly sheathed his rapier, his golden armor forming around his body once again while Nagisa and Tatsuya took the moment to catch their breath.

"That was easy," Jean laughed while wiping the black blood off his face with one hand.

"You alright, Nagi?" Tatsuya said, checking up on Nagisa for any injuries as the older girl simply gave him a cheeky smile.

"Fine as a fiddle, Tatsu!"

With the first wave done, a light then appeared down the tunnel and the Crusaders had a feeling it lead to where the Witch personally resided. After manifesting some arrows in his quiver to replenish the ones he had used, Tatsuya drew one in his bow and said, "Let's go. We can't wait for the others any longer when it's right in front of us. Let's finish this."

Nodding in agreement, Jean and Nagisa followed Tatsuya's lead as they headed into the light down the tunnel. As they run, the light grew brighter and brighter until it enveloped their surroundings completely with the rattling of chains echoed through their ears. Without any ounce of hesitance, the three Magi headed into the heart of the Witch Barrier and prepared for their confrontation.

When the light finally dimmed down, the trio of Magi were shocked as the tunnel had lead them into a completely different realm altogether. Above them was a pale, white sky marked with spinning, black stars that flew over head, leaving a glittering trail of stardust that fell like snow in the Witch Barrier. The three Magi stood on a black platform hovering in the air and when Jean leaned over to see what was under them, he saw nothing but a bottomless, black chasm, like a black hole that was sitting under their feet. Jean snapped back when Tatsuya called out to the extra platforms forming in the air around them, carrying more of the Witch's servants as the platforms starting floating towards the three.

"The Witch should be around here somewhere. If we destroy enough of her Familiars, she'd have to come out sooner or later!" Nagisa shouted as the Witch pressed its final defense against the three Magi.

Firing at the platforms that were converging on them, Tatsuya ordered, "Jean, get on those platforms before they can get close to us!"

"_Tu l'as eu!" _eagerly accepting the order, the knight sprinted off the platform and jumped into the air towards the nearest platform, "Cast off!" Tumbling onto the platform full of Familiars, the armor ejecting from his body blasted away the ones closest to him off the platform before Jean's rapier swung through the air in a frenzy and diced the remaining Familiars into bits and pieces. Once he was done, he leapt onto a platform passing by and carried out the same service.

Back on the entrance platform, Tatsuya and Nagisa repeated the same tactic from before and fired back-to-back upon the platforms that were floating towards them.

Nagisa's bubbles shot through the air and blew apart anything they came into contact with, sending platforms full of Familiars crashing down into the bottomless abyss below with their helpless passengers. Tatsuya backed up her barrage with his trick arrows that launched high into the air and exploded into pieces, showering bits of heated metal onto their enemies as his hand fluidly drew more arrows from his quiver in threes with inhuman speed. When his quiver ran out of ammo, he had to wait for it to manifest another extra batch.

But despite the wave of kills they were gaining, it was not enough. The Witch had yet to appear despite all the damage they were inflicting on her forces and as time went on, the Familiars started to overwhelm the three with their endless numbers.

Upon clearing another platform full of enemies, Jean was gasping for air and wiped the sweat and black blood off his face before jumping onto another platform. His body was completely covered in the blood of his opponents at this point and his rapier's attacks slowly turned from its graceful slashing to a more savage display of strength as Jean mercilessly tore apart the Familiars with his blade, "There's no end to these things!" Jean shouted while relieving a Familiar of its arm, "Where's the Witch?!"

The next platform full of Familiars that Nagisa shot down broke into two pieces as the bubble detonated by its port-side, but while one half sunk to the chasm below, the other instead sped on a crash course for Nagisa and Tatsuya. Nagisa was about to finish it off with another bubble barrage when a Familiar crawling out from underneath their platform lashed out at her with its pickaxe and struck her weapon from her hand.

"Nagi!" Tatsuya acted quick when he saw the platform speeding towards them and grabbed Nagisa by her waist. Jumping off the platform as it shattered into pieces from the collision, Tatsuya threw his sickle at another one and hooked onto it. Nagisa held on tight, the two swinging underneath the platform by the sickle's chain before the momentum carried them into into the air and allowed them to descend upon their new base.

The Familiars that were already on the platform stood no chance even in close combat against the pair as Tatsuya used his bow to club his next kill in the face before pulling out an arrow from his quiver and driving it into the chest of another Familiar behind him.

Even without her weapon, Nagisa ducked and slid under a Familiar's clumsy attacks before delivering a swift kick that launched it off the platform. Transforming her face once more into the pale mask of her Witch form, she zipped under the swing of another Familiar's attack and proceeded to bite its head from its shoulders.

The headless Familiar fell over, but it did not exploded into bits of ash as the two turned their attention to the hordes of Familiars converging upon the Magi. The Familiar's corpse started to twitch, its chest bubbling like boiling water before it was forcibly cracked upon by a pair of demonic arms. One of its hands wielding a curved dagger, Tatsuya was the first to notice this creature that was about to launch at Nagisa's back and instinctively shielded her with his body.

"The Ha-!" before he could even call out The Hand, the unknown creature dashed past them in a blur.

Tatsuya blinked and Nagisa drew in a sharp breath as a wound suddenly erupted on his back, blood starting to pool at their feet as the Puerum Magi muffled a cry of pain and dropped to his knees, "Tatsuya!" she cried out, holding the injured boy in her arms as her eyes widened at the large slash mark on his back.

Jean snapped to his friends upon hearing Nagisa scream before he saw the unknown creature flying towards him at a blinding speed. Raising his rapier, his blade parried a blow from a curved dagger that would've slashed his neck open had he been too slow, "What the Hell?!" the unknown creature dashed past him and Jean panted for air from the sheer strength he had felt from that slash.

Tatsuya keeled over in pain, gritting his teeth as Nagisa tried to heal the wound, but her magic was too slow for an injury of this extent, "It's the Witch! I-It's finally appeared...! It's..."

"Tatsuya! Tatsuya, hang on!" trying to heal the boy to the best of her abilities despite the army of Familiars approaching them, Nagisa saw Tatsuya's attacker come to a stop and hover in the air above them. The Witch was a demonic-looking creature with stumps for legs, its torso covered in a torn, black shroud with a bleeding, scarred face that had leather straps tightened around its face. Chains dangled from its arms, its rotting teeth in full display as it let out a ringing, child-like cackle that echoed through the Witch Barrier.

Nagisa manifested another trumpet in her hand to fire at the Witch, but her attention was drawn away from the it and its Familiars when Tatsuya suddenly collapsed in her arms with his eyes wide open. His armored robe and bow vanished into particles and the blood seeping from his back now stained the white long-coat he was wearing. Nagisa, unable to process this, dropped her weapon and tried shaking him his still body, quietly begging for him to wake up as only silence answered her pleas. Blood pooling beneath their feet, Nagisa held Tatsuya's head to her chest as she desperately continued to try and heal his wound.

The Witch's army was now surrounding the pair on all sides as Jean was cut off from them, the golden knight fighting on a platform that was far from where Nagisa and Tatsuya were, "Nagi! Tatsuya!" clashing blades with a Familiar, another one came from behind and struck the knight in his unarmored back as blood spilled from his wound, "Goddamit!" he kicked the Familiar in front of him away and repaid the one that had attacked him through decapitation.

But Nagisa had yet to even give up.

Instead, ever so slowly, a sense of rage started to flare up within her and override her feelings of sadness the more she heard of the Witch's cackling ringing in her ears. That annoying, child-like laugh. As Nagisa cradled Tatsuya's still body, Nagisa turned her head and narrowed her eyes as she shot the Witch one intense glare, "You... _You_...!" her voice was low as a flaming, silver aura began to form around her, "I know that I was once like you before. A monster that can't do anything but kill. A being of despair that seeks nothing but the death of others. But, for hurting Tatsuya... for hurting him out of all people...!"

The Witch let out a loud howl and the platforms full of Familiars began charging at the two.

Closing her eyes, Nagisa channeled all her rage, her sorrow, and her fury into whatever energy she had left in her. Every single bit of emotion that resided in her were fuels to the flames of anger inside her, boiling together as Nagisa tapped deep into the Witch powers that had been bestowed upon her by Kaname Madoka long ago. Opening her eyes, Nagisa, with every single ounce of strength she had in her, screamed out at the top of her voice with enough energy for one name to echo through the Barrier, **"Charlotte!"**

There was a moment of silence, the Witch continuing to cackle as its victory seemed near, before the silver aura around Nagisa suddenly flared up like the flames of Hell and transformed into a bright light as behind her, a giant, black worm-like creature instantly exploded into existence. This summoned creature was enormous, spanning nearly 10 meters in length with an array of sharp teeth and a long tail that effortlessly swatted away the platforms nearing the two, sending them crashing into the abyss below as hovering above Nagisa and Tatsuya like a protective guardian, was the Charlotte the Sweets Witch.

The enemy Witch and its Familiars halted in their attacks out of shock that a Puella Magi was controlling her very own Witch. Even Jean could only mutter a small, "Holy shit..."

Lifting a bloodied hand from her side, Nagisa pointed a finger straight at the opposing Witch and its army of servants, uttering a single command, "Chew them to bits, Char."

A wide, almost psychotic smile spread across Charlotte's face as the giant Witch then lunged at the army of Familiars like a child set loose in a candy store. It opened its gigantic maws filled with rows of teeth and proceeded to devour two whole platforms in one go. Chewing the concrete and screeching Familiars like tender meat, it swallowed its meal and continued to tear into the panicking horde of Familiars with its never-ending appetite. Very quickly, the Familiars became scattered and broken, entire swaths of Familiars screeching in fear as they were caught in the maws of Charlotte and eaten alive.

Jean was relieved, but couldn't help but feel intimidated by this kind of back up, "_Très bien_, Nagi!"

The opposing Witch let out an angry screech at its collapsing army and when Charlotte lunged to take a bite at it, the Witch quickly dodged its jaws and dove straight for the Witch's user with its curved blade in hand. It zipped past every snap of Charlotte's maws with its blinding speed and as it neared Nagisa, the silver-haired girl simply accepted the challenge and ordered Charlotte to finish of the rest of the Familiars while she dealt with the Witch itself.

With nothing but contempt for the Puella Magi, the opposing Witch swung its blade directly at Nagisa's face, and in a flash, she manifested the pale face of her Witch form over her own for a third time and caught the blade in her teeth. The Witch was strong, but Nagisa's maws were unbreakable as diamonds as she bit deep into the blade and shattered it into tiny bits and pieces of metal that rained down the chasm below. Nagisa then seized the Witch by its throat before it could even run and wondered to herself, "I've always wanted to know how a Witch tasted like..."

Opening her jaws, the Witch let out a horrified shriek as Nagisa devoured its head in one bite and tore it from its shoulders before tossing the Witch's decapitated body into the chasm below. The Witch's headless body started to crack as it died, the last of its Familiars swallowed up by Charlotte. With Nagisa spitting out the Witch's head and leaving it to fall into the chasm below with its body, the Barrier, without a Witch to control it, proceeded to break apart like a plane of glass as everything around them utterly vanished and returned the trio into the same alley they were in before.

Dropping to one knee, a weakened Nagisa cradled Tatsuya's body and continued healing the boy as Jean ran up to them and checked Tatsuya for a pulse. Behind them, Charlotte, its giant body stuck between the tiny alley they were in, simply vanished along with Nagisa and Jean's Magi uniforms as its job was done, "He's alive, but barely. Nagi, you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Nagisa's breathing was hoarse, beads of sweat trailing down her cheeks, "Summoning Char just left me a little winded, that's all. We need to help Tatsuya or else-"

"Momoe! Katsuo!" Sayaka's voice called out to them from the distance and the two were relieved to see Sayaka and Homura running up to them with Madoka and Tomoe in tow.

Seeing their injured teammate, Madoka rushed to Tatsuya's side and used her magic to patch up his wounds while Nagisa dropped to the floor, completely exhausted. Summoning her Witch form had taken more energy out of her than she had expected, but it worked. Tatsuya was safe and the Witch was dead. Turning around, Nagisa felt a bit of warmth upon seeing the face of Tomoe Mami once again. Even if it wasn't her Mami, seeing that radiant smile never failed to make her even a bit happy.

"Miki and Akemi told me a lot about you three," Tomoe chuckled with a hand on her cheek, "Come along, we can talk over at my place."

* * *

Back at the inn, the two girls that were left behind to watch their hideout for any of Homura's assassins had so far seen zero suspicious activity in the area. In Jade's room, the Maiden sat on the floor, meditating to clear her hazy memories and remember anything that had happened during and after the battle of Mitakihara, to no success. Opening her eyes, Jade let out a sigh and dusted herself off as she stood up and approached the windowsill.

_"Kaname and the others have been gone for a while now... Has something happened to them?"_

Staring out the window, Jade watched the bustling streets below and examined everything in sight: from the groups of tourists chatting and taking pictures of the buildings around them, to the children playing in the streets while watched by their parents, to the daily salary-man enjoying a piping bowl of ramen at one of the numerous food carts in the area. Jade had to wonder how different this world really was from theirs, aside from what Momoe had already told them. If anything, she wanted to meet Akemi Homura before she had became the Devil... but she had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to control herself from doing something rash if she did.

A knock on the door gains her attention and Jade answers, "You may enter," looking back, the door slid open and it was unexpectedly, Meer. The two had avoided each other's presence for most of the their stay, and as she avoided her gaze at first, the room's comfortable atmosphere was suddenly lost while Jade wondered why she was here, "What is it, Meer, anything to report?" she spoke to her as if they were still in the Maidens of Battle, even though that wasn't the case anymore. It was hard to suddenly stop what you had been trained to do for years.

Her hands were slow but precise, her eyes behind her glasses staring at the floor while she listened for her response, "Have you remembered anything about the battle?"

"No. Not yet," leaning on the windowsill, she watched Meer's hands as they hesitated to signal her next words, "You have a question on your mind, Meer? Then out with it. Kaname wants us to guard the inn with our lives and wasting time only leaves us open to attack."

Meer frowned and furrowed her brows, sharply signalling, "Do you think our Sisters are still out there? Like us?"

Flinching at her question, Jade folded her arms and rubbed her temples with one hand. This was a question she had been asking herself for the past few hours, and even now, she still couldn't answer it. Instead, Jade retorted with a question of her own, "Meer, if we were to meet Maidens that had been brainwashed such as myself, and there was no way to save them in that situation, would you be ready to take the life of another Maiden of Battle?"

She tried to examined Meer's face for any sort of response, but Meer didn't even twitch at that notion. As Meer was quite versed in hiding even the most subtle of emotions, Jade couldn't do anything but watch as Meer simply stepped out of the room, and before closing the door, her hands signaled, "I don't know. But, I'm sure that you, of all people, wouldn't hesitate to kill a Maiden."

As the door closed shut, Jade's hands tightened into fists and the redhead grimaced. Hearing Meer's footsteps slowly fade out in a few seconds, Jade sat on the floor and pulled her legs to her chest. Once she was sure that Meer was out of earshot, the Maiden sought the only way she knew how to comfort herself, and that was to simply begin uttering a soft lullaby that the Priestesses of the Maidens had taught her during her training. It was something that was passed from Maiden to Maiden, sung only in times of distress and harrowing ordeals. While waiting for the return of Kaname and the other Crusaders, Jade felt completely alone in the inn despite Meer's presence.

* * *

The aroma of hot tea after a close victory against a Witch was much welcomed to Tatsuya as he sat with medical wraps tightened around his upper torso under his clothes and Nagisa, the person having been the one to treat his wounds, clinging to his arm after having nearly lost him. Tatsuya raised the cup to his lips and was pleasantly surprised to taste the same sort of tea Tomoe would often give them back in their own world. Although he had very nearly lost his life earlier, if felt nice to finally be in the company of familiar faces once again.

At Tomoe's apartment living room, the three Crusaders sat on one side of a triangular, glass table while Madoka, Tomoe, Sayaka and Homura sat on the others in pairs. Strangely enough, Kyouko was nowhere to be seen, "I must thank you for taking care of that Witch," Tomoe said, pouring some more tea for the Crusaders while Madoka placed down a tray of cakes on the table and passed them around, "Kaname and I had been chasing that Witch for weeks now, so we're very grateful that you finally put an end to our illusive problem."

"We're also kinda sorry for not being fast enough there," Sayaka sheepishly added with a slight chuckle, scratching the back of her head as Homura beside her nodded in guiltily agreement.

Handing his share of cake to Nagisa beside him as she had already finished her own cake within seconds, Tatsuya simply waved off Sayaka and Homura's apology with a modest smile, "It's fine, really. We could've actually waited for you all, but we made the choice to do it ourselves so that the Witch wouldn't get away. In the end, it was our call to take it on ourselves," he felt the medical wraps under his shirt with one hand and smiled, "Thank you, though, for the hospitality."

"You're quite welcome," Tomoe said, tea in hand, and the two shared a respectful nod to one another. Even when a decade younger, Tomoe was still kind as ever.

Clapping her hands together all of a sudden, Madoka then beamed, "Now then, how about we introduce ourselves, since we've got some new faces here? I'm Kaname Madoka. I don't have as much experience as Mami when it comes to being a Puella Magi, but I'm doing my best to meet her expectations!"

"If it's introductions, then I'm all for it!" Jean answered Madoka's passion with his own, putting a hand over the rose in his chest pocket as he dramatically introduced himself to the chagrin of his fellow teammates, "I'm Jean-Baudin Victore! Best friend of Tatsu- Tomohisa here and one of the best swordsmen you'd ever find!" gesturing to Tatsuya for his turn, the Crusader's leader settled down his tea and pinched the bill of his hat in hesitation.

For the entire time they had been here, Tatuya felt like Homura was gazing at him this entire time. As Madoka and Sayaka quickly shrugged off his likeness to his sister, he wondered if keeping the hat on to hide his looks would be beneficial to him at all.

Tatsuya, hoping that he wouldn't regret his next action, took off the cap that Nagisa had given him and placed it on the table, revealing that familiar shade of dark pink he had for hair. As expected, he saw Mami and Homura's expressions light up for a moment with surprise. Initially, he wanted to hide his resemblance to Madoka for as long as possible, but both he and presumably even Nagisa figured that it would only draw suspicion, "I am Katsuo Tomohisa. Jean and I had just recently received our powers, so it's quite obvious we're new to the whole magic thing. Since we're new, our friend Nagi had been teaching us the ropes of being a Magi."

It was at this point that Homura couldn't help but speak up, "You look a lot like Kaname..."

As Sayaka, Tomoe and even Madoka herself somewhat agreed with her observation, Jean quickly cut in, "Hah, I know right? I mean, we were kinda surprised as well when we saw Kaname here and noticed that she looked almost _exactly_ like Katsuo. I mean, it's almost as if they were the same person!" laughing loudly, both Tatsuya and Nagisa beside him couldn't help but wince at his attempt to keep their cover and wished he hadn't opened his mouth instead.

"I... see..." said Tomoe, a finger on her chin as she and Homura continued to a good look at Tatsuya.

Feeling their gazes aiming at his resemblance to his sister becoming a bit too uncomfortable for him to bare, Tatsuya quickly nudged Nagisa in the arm to introduce herself and draw away their attention. The girl had just finished the cake Tatsuya had handed her and she wiped her mouth with a tissue before speaking up, "I'm Momoe Nagisa! I've kinda been a Puella Magi for a while already and it's... ugh... nice to meet you," those words felt awkward coming out of her mouth considering the people they were talking to. Unable to find the next words to say, she continued clinging to Tatsuya and whispered to him for help.

Sayaka gave Nagisa a curious glance and put a finger on her lips. Noticing how closely Tatsuya and Nagisa were sitting together all this time, Sayaka smirked as she couldn't but teasingly ask them, "_So_, are you two together or something?"

Nagisa's face turned a deep shade of red in an instant and hid her face behind her hands out of embarrassment. Sayaka and Jean couldn't help but laugh at her expense while Sayaka got a few mild, disapproving frowns from her friends as Nagisa tried to reply, but couldn't utter anything that resembled a coherent, working sentence. Instead, Tatsuya took the initiative and tried to clear things up with only a tint of red in his cheeks after Jean and Sayaka finally got a hold of themselves.

"Nagi and I have known each other since we were kids," Tatsuya explained while patting Nagisa on the head to calm her down, "She may not look like it, but she's actually older than Jean and I by about several years, so that makes her about... 24 years-old?"

The girls nearly choked on their tea.

"W-Wait, you're an _adult_?!" Sayaka practically screamed as Nagisa only looked about half her age, "But you're so short-" Madoka nudged Sayaka in the arm and both her and Tomoe disapprovingly shook their heads at her wording, "Young! I mean young!" Sayaka hastily added with a nervous chuckle, "I mean, it was so hard to tell you were actually older than your friends there, so I thought... I mean... Never mind."

"Not a very bright observation there, Miki," Homura quietly commented.

At this point, Nagisa was more or less pouting instead of burying herself from embarrassment, "It's not my fault I can't grow."

"In more ways that one," Jean eagerly quipped, earning him a sharp jab in the groin from Nagisa that made the other girls wince as Tatsuya, who was sitting between them, just gave an exasperated sigh while his best friend keeled over in pain, "I always wanted to say that...!"

"This is why girls don't like you!"

"Good grief..."

Over time, the meeting between the Crusaders and the Mitakihara Magi went on peacefully as Jean, Tatsuya and Nagisa couldn't help but feel right at home in the company of the 4 girls. Aside from the fact that Homura was here and Kyouko wasn't for some reason, it was just like back at home, exactly how a normal day in Tomoe's cafe would go. As they were getting familiar with this world's version of them, Tomoe then decided it was time to change the subject to one she had been planning of discussing with the Crusaders for some time now.

Placing her tea cup on its saucer, Tomoe folded her hands on her lap and inquired, "Katsuo. If I may ask you and your friends, have any of you ever heard the legend of Walpurgisnacht?"

The room suddenly went quiet and the entire atmosphere seemingly changed. Nagisa's hand even shook at the mention of that name, "The legendary Witch..."

"Walrus-what-now?" Jean scratched his head as he and Tatsuya were the only ones in the room that were unfamiliar with that name.

Sharing a confused look with his best friend, Tatsuya placed his elbows on the table and shook his head, "Would you care to explain it to us, then?"

Nodding, Tomoe's tone took a serious shift as she elaborated on the dreaded legend of Walpurgisnacht, "Walpurgis is a name uttered mostly during the exchange of rumors between the Puella Magi. As no one has ever seen it personally, no one can really find proof of its existence. But, that legend is slowly becoming reality, as Walpurgis is the name of the world's most powerful Witch. Like a force of nature, it leaves a trail of destruction everywhere it appears and those that weren't Puella Magi would only see the damage done by a seemingly natural disaster," she furrowed her brows and closed her eyes, "And if the rumors are true, it's coming here to this city in a matter of days."

"You can't be serious..." Jean uttered in disbelief.

Tatsuya's eyes widened at the amount of time they had left until Walpurgis arrived. 'A matter of days', he thought. If his guess was right, then the reason The Hand had transported them to this specific day, less than a week from Walpurgisnacht, was so that they could assist them in defeating it. If they weren't here, then Homura and even Sayaka would have possibly struck a contract and turned into Puella Magi as well just to help combat the threat. The Hand had shown them their path, and if it was the right one, then there was only one clear choice from this point on.

Glancing at Nagisa beside him, she must have realized this as well, "Then... are you saying that you want us to help you defeat Walpurgis?" he said and received a firm nod from Tomoe as the girl was glad to see that he caught on fast.

"It's only a request from one Magi to another. I do not know how you or your friend, Victore, managed to get powers I thought could only be given to girls, but at this point, I'm seeking any help I can get to defend Mitakihara," she lifted a hand from her side and gestured to the window beside them where they could see the city outside in its glory, bathed in the light of the sunset and standing proud, "This place is our home, and we want to defend it. If Kaname says she trusts you, then I will do the same. Isn't that right?"

Madoka happily nodded, "Of course! We may have just met, but I can tell you're the type of person who won't hesitate to save people, Katsuo. It's - how do I put it - my intuition telling me that!" she said with a wink and Tatsuya couldn't help but feel a bit touched by how kind his sister was. Even at this age, she was the same ray of hope that had inspired him to become the same. To see her smile again was the sole reason he even accepted going on this journey back in time.

"Thank you. Really. I-I didn't expect you all to be so welcoming."

Sayaka again couldn't help but give a teasing smile, "Oh, is that a little tear I see?"

"M-Miki, you're being rude," Homura protested.

"Oh, come on, I was just playing around with him!"

Appreciating the trust from the girls despite being nothing more than a stranger to them, Tatsuya looked at Jean and Nagisa, and their faces said the same thing: They were going to fight alongside them against Walpurgisnacht, to help them in their time of need, and to prevent Homura from becoming a Puella Magi, "It's decided then," Tatsuya chuckled, putting his hat back on, "We'll fight Walpurgis together. You have our promise."

"And my blade!" Jean chimed in, raising his fork like a rapier.

As the room erupted into a small cheer, Nagisa and Tatsuya smiled as things finally looked to be on their side. Now having joined forces with the Mitakihara Magi, they would have an easy way to monitor both Homura and maybe even Kyubey while having a sure way to clear their objective.

If this even had the slightest chance of working, then they were going to take it.

* * *

Shortly after they had made the promise with Tomoe and the others to help defend the city, the Crusaders thanked them for their time and decided to meet up again tomorrow before leaving. Returning to the inn to update Meer and Jade on the situation, it was already night time as rain fell on the bustling city of Mitakihara's outskirts. Having just left the train station, the Crusaders were nearly half an hour away from the inn as they were soaked to the bone on the dimly-lit sidewalk as cars and trucks passed by them every few minutes.

Tatsuya suppressed a yawn as raindrops dripped from the bill of his hat. Having lent his coat to Nagi to keep her from catching a cold, the rain didn't look like it was going to die down anytime soon, "It really was kind of them to trust us so easily," Tatsuya spoke up, his voice slightly drowned out by the rain, "I didn't expect them to be so kind to us from the start."

Gripping tightly onto his leather jacket, Jean replied, "If anything, Madam Tomoe is a freaking Saint just for her kindness alone. Am I right, Nagi?" he got a less than enthusiastic reply from the silver-haired girl behind them and the two boys glanced at her to see that she was deep in thought as they walked.

Tatsuya slowed down his pace and walked right next to her, "Nagi?"

Putting a hand on her shoulder got her attention as Nagisa shook her head, her hair drenched and dripping with rainwater, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about, well, Kyubey. At the time we were at Mami's place, Kyubey didn't even appear once. It made me a little suspicious, that's all," she suddenly sneezed and held onto Tatsuya's coat for warmth as she gave a tired smile, "Or maybe I'm just paranoid. Or hungry. Maybe both. _Definitely_ both."

"She's got a point, though. You think that little rat knows what we're up to?" Jean said in a low voice and Tatsuya could only shrug in reply as he patted Nagisa on the head.

"Either way, we'd best keep our guard up. We don't know what's going to happen from now on, nor do we know what both Kyubey and Homura are planning. Understood?"

The two Crusaders nodded in agreement and they continued on their journey back to the inn.

Then, a familiar, child-like voice unaffected by the noise of the rainfall addressed the three from behind, "You certainly are an interesting bunch," the three Crusaders spun around instantly and there, Kyubey was sitting on the wet sidewalk, its tail flickering in the cold wind. Nagisa was the first to react by immediately drawing out her trumpet and aiming the weapon at the white Familiar, "Not very friendly, are you?"

"When the Hell did it get behind us?" Jean whispered, materializing his rapier at his hip.

Not knowing whether or not it had overheard their conversation, Tatsuya stepped forward and stuffed a hand in his pocket, "It's not polite to sneak up on someone unannounced," he calmly told it, pinching the bill of his hat as he watched those beady, red eyes stare right back at him. Unlike Nibey, he didn't feel anything behind those blank eyes which only made the little creature's mere presence even more creepy, "What do you want?"

"I was just curious about you, that's all. Pure curiosity," it sounded innocent, but they didn't believe it for a second, "It's not everyday a bunch of mysterious Magi, two whom are boys even, just appear out of the blue wanting to help. Especially you," Kyubey referred to Tatsuya as he glared at the white cat, "I sense something about you that I can't figure out. A strange power, unlike anything I've ever seen before. It intrigues me."

Turning his back to the white creature, Tatsuya simply stepped away, having had enough of this thing's presence, "Is that all you have to say? We're quite busy."

"Oh, I do have a few questions I'd like answered, but, it seems that you have unwanted company. I'll take my leave now, thank you very much. I look forward to our next meeting," with that said, Kyubey suddenly ran off, leaving the Crusaders alone in the rain as they wondered what it meant.

Nagisa lowered her bubble trumpet and Jean leaned on a parked car next to him while letting out a small sigh, "Creepy little bugger."

With Kyubey gone, Tatsuya was the first to continue walking back to the inn, "Let's go. Jade and Meer are waiting for us. Let's tell them what we've done so far and then go out for dinner," hearing the two agree with him, Tatsuya suddenly stopped in his tracks when he felt a chill run up his spine. Subsequently, despite the rain having not gotten any worse at all, it began to feel very, _very _cold. It was almost as if he felt like he had walked right into a freezer, the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

"Tatsuya, watch out!"

Hearing Nagisa suddenly scream at him, the silver-haired girl jumped towards Tatsuya and pushed him from where he stood as a ray of ice struck her torso and pinned her to the ground. Unable to move, Nagisa's was stuck to ground with a block of ice encasing her torso as the freeze ray quickly moved to Jean and restrained him against the parked car behind him before he could even cast off his armor.

"The Hand! forming the weapon around his forearm, The Hand let out its distinct, deep buzzing noise as Tatsuya activated the weapon and blocked the incoming ice ray with his palm. The freezing beam was disintegrated upon contact with the buzzing energy forming in his palm and as the futile barrage died down, Tatsuya gazed up at their attacker who was standing on the roof of the building next to them, "Meer...?"

Tatsuya assumed at first due to the ice powers, but his guess was wrong as it was instead of one of Homura's Tarot Magi. Staring down at the Crusaders through a red V-shaped visor, two of the Crusaders were already incapacitated as the Tarot magi wore what looked like a suit of armor made purely out of opaque ice. The rain that fell upon her body instantly froze upon contact and only added layers of extra protection to her armor as the visor of her helmet flashed a deep red, "Capturing... targets..." as the Tarot Magi jumped into the air, she descended upon Tatsuya with a blade of ice forming in her hands.


End file.
